Somnians – Live at The Piper (2020)
Somnians is an enigmatic rock outfit coming out of Hastings. The band includes members from Al Mitchell Mitchell & the New Born Sinners and Snake Eats Boy and is creating an eclectic new sound. Before lockdown, they performed in a series of live shows supporting their debut single ‘White Noise Itch’. One of these performances was at The Piper in St Leonards-On-Sea.
This performance was recorded and the live album has now been released. Live at The Piper was exclusively available on Bandcamp to raise money for the Music Venue Trust’s #saveourvenues campaign, it is now out on all streaming services.
The first track on the album is ‘Apollo Heaven’. The track is fairly mellow with smooth vocals and an easy beat. The guitars throughout the track interject to add a little something to the melody and vibe. It is a great opening to a set and gets you into the mood of the album.
‘Pointless’ has a faster pace to the song with a harder rock vibe to the opening. The slower pace of the verses gives a great downtime before you are picked up in the chorus. There is a driving beat to this song that makes you want to move. There are parts of this song that you will find yourself singing along to.
‘The Truth Is In There’ opens with an ominous tone. This is enhanced by the higher tone vocals on the track and the slower pace of the vocal performance. The change in the melody really hits you in this track and would be amazing to see live.
‘Infected Perspective’ is all driving guitars that make your body move to the rhythm. There is a steady depth to this track that hooks you and does not let go. While the track does not make you want to jump to it, there is something infectious about it. This underlying tone makes this one of my favourite tracks on the album.
‘Millenniallove’ is a fun song to listen to. The lyrics are relatable and there is a captivating melody full of charming vocals, guitars and driving beats. This is a song that will have you singing along whether you want to or not.
The next track is ‘A String Breaks…’ which opens a little differently, but hooks you from the first moment. This track is almost like an interlude in the playlist. It is full of vibrating guitars, engaging drums and interesting keys that make it a sonic experience.
‘Inner Beach Body’ is led to perfectly by the ends of ‘A String Breaks…’ and the vocals draw you into the tale of the track. The lyrics of this track are relatable while giving you a bit of hope in a strange way. The melody is a bit laid-back but as compelling as the other songs on the album.
‘Smiling Nihilist’ has a faster opening that hooks you and leads to vocals that are quite nihilistic. While the lyrics could be depressing, they are also uplifting. The melody of the track helps lift the tone and you do end up smiling while listening to the song.
The last track is ‘White Noise Itch’ which is the band’s debut single. This song is great to listen to from the first moments to the very end. It highlights everything that the band is capable of from enthralling vocals to screaming guitars and deep beats. The track ends with you hearing just how much the crowd at The Piper enjoyed the show.
‘Live at The Piper’ is an amazing live album by Somnians and will make you want to see them when they start touring again. If not for the enjoyment of the crowd, you might not realise this is a live album because the band sounds just like they do in the studio.
Find out more about the Somnians on their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
