Album Review/ Indie Pop : Hadriaan’s ‘Shine’
Hadriaan just doesn’t make music but makes atmospheric cinema with his songs. Blending post rock with dark electronic elements, ambient flows, rap, and dream pop, he creates a swirling world of feeling. It is a whole new art form that he brings to music making and it is nothing short of bewildering. There’s a lot of new music out there. But none that absorbs and keeps your attention like his music. His latest release is ‘Shine’, an album that is so sophisticatedly designed, layered and presented. A top tier visionary who gives us original work that sounds like nothing else out there.
The title track introduces the album. And within its oceanic environment, you’ll find yourself swimming deeper, into the darkest corners. And in there, you’ll find the luminescence, a light that you’ve to journey to. An odyssey. In fact, the whole collection is best if viewed as such. The current is strong but it is packed with cerebral character and sensibilities to form an irreplicable complexity.
Tracks like ‘Running After Time’ will give you DJ Khaled reminiscent vocals against a soft, fluid hip-hop backdrop. ‘Finally Home’ incubates a similar timbre, combining it with deep Hozier-like sounds. There are some dramatic raises and drops, all moments that expose you to the power of music.
Speaking of Hozier, if you like wrenching vocal journeys, especially in the way that makes you feel human and superhuman at the same time, tracks like ‘Our Love Died’, ‘Powerless’ and ‘Heartbeat’ are for you. The richness of the soundscapes are unfathomable.
‘Will O’ the Wisp’ is a whimsical, funky ethereal, and trance-inducing flow. Slow-dancing to it can be the best way to enjoy an evening. The vocals wander, express, and keep exploring. While the stringing pieces of synths celebrate chromatism, Hadriaan’s baritones nicely contrast it with a different kind of aliveness.
‘Something Wrong’ is a synth immersed, textural flow. So many otherworldly sounds tied into moments of being human. This perspective never gets old. Lastly, ‘Our Season’, an acoustics maneuver that peaks higher than Adele’s contemporary pop. So light, yet so deep, just keep flying with its wind and you’ll find yourself in an expanse that will catch your breath. The journey through pain, into a healing high is like you’ve been enlightened. Listen Now!
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The album is available for streaming on popular sites like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music!
You can listen to ‘Shine’ by Hadriaan here -
