SASAMI – Blood On the Silver Screen
SASAMI's latest album Blood On the Silver Screen is steeped in nostalgia, but sadly lacking the raw edge of intuition that came across in her earlier work
It's difficult to admit that we're in a period of nostalgia for the 2010s, but SASAMI's ambitious new pop album takes you back to the era of shiny leggings and huge owl pendants. It's no coincidence that the sounds across Blood On the Silver Screen evoke aesthetic memories of garish fashions and enormous Facebook photo albums. The links between visual and musical pop culture both transport us back and bring the era forward. SASAMI sings: 'Thirty years old and you're still getting burned', sharing the familiar experience of feeling like the instability of your early 20s never really left you.
The sounds of the album pay homage to the earnest confessions of artists like Lady Gaga and Natasha Bedingfield, showcasing SASAMI's vocals and conservatory training. SASAMI is most impressive on Lose It All, an upbeat breakup bop. However, despite her status as a pop music cool-girl (and her collaboration with fellow cool-girl Clairo), the album feels highly strung, constrained by a stiffness that drains it of some vitality.
SASAMI can write the hell out of a love song, but something about this album's emotional side feels more generic than referential. The intricate beats and polished production feel at times over-studied, lacking the raw edge of intuition that came across in SASAMI's earlier work.
Listen to: Just Be Friends, Love Makes You Do Crazy Things, Figure It Out