Siichaq Is Here
I heard a snippet of a Siichaq song via an Instagram post from the Atlanta band Lunar Vacation. It was captivating and sent me searching for more. Given the flood of new music I encounter while mindlessly scrolling through my feed, it’s usually a good sign when something stands out so distinctly.
After a little snooping on Bandcamp, I found Siichaq’s full length Catcher, which came out last year. Clearly, I’m a little late... but who says I can only write about music that just dropped? If it’s good, it’s good.
On Catcher, Atlanta-based Siichaq covers a lot of ground both sonically and thematically. Across the 11 songs, you’ll hear intimate bedroom pop, lush shoegaze, near-drone/industrial, and perfectly crafted indie rock. Kennie Mason’s voice – and lyrics – serve as the anchor through-and-through, delivering introspection, darkness, grace, and plenty more. It’s a meticulously crafted landscape, and it will grab you.
Kennie Mason aka Siichaq (photo courtesy of Siichaq)
The second track, “World Equestrian Center,” displays so many of the record’s strengths, all through the lens of a racehorse conceit that speaks to resignation, pointlessness, performance, and lack of control with lyrics like, “I’m slowing down, chasing that high, the people watching, expectant eyes.” Alongside the affecting vocals, the banjo embraces intentional space between notes and really brings the scene—however real or fictional—to life.
From there, Siichaq delivers some heavier moments with “Project 3,” “Horse & the Heretic,” and, to a certain extent, “Cannibal.” At times, the genre and volume shifts are reminiscent of the complex and rewarding tension that emerges when you listen to Grouper’s “Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill,” then Helen’s “The Original Faces” (both projects of the prolific Liz Harris).
The spotlight track on Catcher is “I Should’ve Brought My Jacket.” Production-wise, the song marks a substantial pivot from the glossier parts of the record, opting instead for four-track dust and a drum machine. It’s resonant, though, and invites real emotional connection with the listener. You feel like you’re in the room with Mason yet also held at a distance — like you’re hearing a song before anyone else.
And maybe that’s what drew me to Siichaq in the first place… the feeling that I was hearing something special before so many other people. Something that is likely going to break wide open very soon.
