Abandon all hope
In Men Seni Süyemin’s debut, six-song EP titled Hope, there is an unclarity in what Süyemin’s artistic style is attempting to establish. While dabbling in a multitude of genres, some tracks are layered with vocals and almost all feel caked in electronic guitar. Hope gives glimpses of uniqueness and something to admire, but the word alone doesn’t transfer to what the EP truly is: undefined and generic. Minona Volandova’s production on the EP shows such indecisiveness on a multitude of tracks, with a layering of guitar, bass, piano and synths that are killing one another to try and gain the spotlight. There is real talent in Süyemin’s voice, it is soft and beautiful and has a childlike glow and vibrance, it’s not only not incorporated enough on Hope, but also struggling to simply survive.
The opening, and most promoted track, “NOZH,” is a single that truly entices the listener to pay attention. While “NOZH” takes too much time to set up its rewarding ending, there is competency throughout that makes the track easily the best out of the six. The vocals stand out the most on “NOZH” and it’s a shame they aren’t as prevalent on other songs, as they add a new dynamic to the instrumentals. “NOZH” also boasts the most interesting in terms of electronic sound. The drum crashes, oddball bassline, and catchy simplistic guitar mold together to create a pop feel while staying in the techno and house genre. It’s following the instrumental shift that the track comes into a vibrant dance sound. The cut of Süyemin’s voice singing “Vladamir” and little glitches of her soft tones complement the harder bass. The ending of “NOZH” demonstrates what the EP could have been, a layering of electronics that complements Süyemin’s voice.
The sounds presented in “NOZH” are lost within the following five tracks—rather, they are traded out for a pulled-back use of Süyemin’s vocals and replaced with generic electronic sounds and a mouthful of guitar. “BRIGHT FEELING” and “SUMMER” feel like queue songs with a hazy uplifting guitar that tries to form a light airy sound but isn’t layered enough to do so. The similarity in structure in the sound of both tracks is noticeable and succeeds at sucking out the previously compelling nature of Süyemin’s voice. “SUMMER” sticks in a repetitive and meaningless chorus that layers nothing onto the already bland sound. The guitar shift to a more Latin reggaeton sound halfway through “SUMMER,” but this shift only further conflicts with the electronic backdrop.
Luckily the animalistic guitar on previous songs is caged in “S.O.S.,” instead traded out for a calmer grounded sound that brings fluidity. “S.O.S.” slows down the pacing, with an ’80s kick and drum synth-wave sound that could have pulled emotion into the EP. If vocals were to shine on any track it would have been “S.O.S,” its simplicity allowing for the closeness of Süyemin’s tone to shine. “S.O.S” feels like a missed opportunity to do so as it struggles to progress over its run time.
“SORE” includes a horrendous background sound that is a mix of a storm alert and an aux cable being yanked out of a speaker. “SORE” is a headache stylistically, but luckily the ending track “TRAVEL” redeems the previous song. The synth organ sounds are a fresh mix and it has an aggressiveness that helps bring diversity into the EP.
Hope is a glimpse at the potential of Süyemin’s vocals, in desperate need of direction and standout sound. Separation from its generic overtones could put Men Seni Süyemin on the right track to amplify the vocal quality that is already present.
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