ALBUM REVIEW: Sirin – Marjana Semkina
Asked to describe Sirin by Distorted Sound, MARJANA SEMKINA said she was notoriously bad at selling herself. When talking about IAMTHEMORNING, she would tell people her band was “pretty nerdy” and “probably pretty boring for you” so “don’t bother checking it out”. For Sirin, she settled on: “songs about dead people, and dying, and pain, and people buried alive. A few songs about war, a few revenge songs about my exes.” Later in the conversation, she said she had never written a more miserable album.
There is an honesty to Semkina’s art that is both raw and brutal. Her music is beautiful, often deceptively so, at times graceful enough to float when the world is pressing down on her. Opener We Are The Ocean stands in solidarity with Russian protestors who faced jail time for opposing the invasion of Ukraine. The gentle acoustic strumming accompanies thoughts of standing up to terror, refusing to bury one’s head in the sand. It is light on the ears but heavy in concept, something that defines Sirin.
Over music that sounds like the clear night sky, she sings “swans sing when they know they die, so am I tonight, I’m greeting twilight”. So much pain and sorrow is often paired with equally aggressive music, but Semkina’s understated approach is all the more devastating. Her mournful voice over calm, patient accompaniments has the air of peaceful acceptance, the will to fight long gone. Swan Song is a real highlight, a sort of palliative lullaby providing comfort at the end of life. When on Lost But At Peace she sings “my soul is hurt”, you believe her.
It is a great and broadly incomparable record. The press notes say it is for fans of both MYRKUR and Tori Amos, who won’t be sharing a stage any time soon. In mood, if not entirely in practice, there are echoes of ANATHEMA and the way in which they made every instrument sound terribly sad. But like ANATHEMA, the effect is one of emotional solidarity. There is no pretending that everything is alright. The album never becomes unbearably downbeat, because its sense of melancholia is rooted in universal discomfort; it sits cross-legged on the floor beside you and says ‘hey, me too’.
Sirin is a solo record but MARJANA SEMKINA has a knack for bringing together collaborators who complement her vision. The drama of Death And The Maiden is elevated by Mick Moss of ANTIMATTER whose voice provides a deep contrast to Semkina’s, their back and forth recalling the push and pull of The Phantom Of The Opera. Jim Grey of CALIGULA’S HORSE joins for Anything But Sleep, a particularly haunting cut, both voices ghostly and longing for a calm that won’t come. Lost But At Peace is brought to life by Keli Guðjónsson on the drums, providing a propulsive and joyful contrast to lyrics like “it’s not the rise that gives you wings, it’s the falling”.
That the world is hurting right now is hard to ignore. Sirin could not be more perfectly timed as we collectively process our role in what is happening around us. Our lives do not stop when confronted by grief, but feelings of loneliness can make it seem that way. In trying to process war, death, exes, MARJANA SEMKINA has tapped into the profound anxieties of the moment: our shoulders are heavy all of the time, whether from global conflict, personal fears, or heartache, yet we are expected to function as normal. If you have ever felt that it is all too much to take, that the dark cloud won’t pass, listen to Sirin and know you’re not alone.
Rating: 8/10
Sirin is set for release on May 31st via self-release.
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