The supergroup Sianvar dropped their EP on the 5th, and it’s been on repeat ever since. The band consists of members from various other bands in the same vein of music, namely, Donovan Melero of Hail The Sun, Joe Arrington and Michael Littlefield of A Lot Like Birds, Will Swan of Dance Gavin Dance and Sergio Medina of Stolas. Individually these bands are all excellent in their own right, so tying together a conglomerate band from these influences would be amazing and a great idea, right? Right!
The EP consists of 5 well-crafted songs that deliver a unique dose of intricate and edgy rock. Lead singer Donovan Melero’s high vocals croon over meticulously satisfying guitar work, becoming at times beautifully eerie against more ambient sounds as in “Chest Pressure”. Of course, there’s plenty of high-powered, cathartic elements with Melero’s earnest voice often edging into screaming entreaties driven by pulsating drums. “Your Tongue Ties” is one of the more melodious songs on the EP, featuring a catchy chorus and some super cool guitar shredding. Lyrically, “Virtual Vain” is one of the most relevant and intriguing, especially in regards to me and my generation (ahem), as it deals with today’s obsession with social media and documentation of one’s existence. I particularly enjoy the lines, “Posting your party to prove that you’re fun. What you show: do we all care about it? Image: we only show what we want you to see. I’m just as guilty as wanting to change such plain reality. It’s not what you will see.”
Overall I was really impressed by these guys. I imagine they’ll mainly be busy with their respective bands, but hopefully there will be more music from them at some point in the future.
Check out their songs Substance Sequence and Sick Machine, and the rest of their EP!