Siren’s Sky is a unique musical project from The Netherlands combining the guitar prowess of Herbert Kaptien and 3 female vocalists (Lydia Sainikova, Jessica Rasche and Esther Bredius). Their latest release “Forever” Was released in 2015.
The CD gently takes flight with the methodical “Forever” a guitar driven intro piece that serves up impassioned vocal feel from Sainikova meshed with impressive vocal finesse, impressive harmonies meshed against a grand slam chorus. Track 2 “Cosmic” downshifts a bit with its hypnotic yet methodical piano/cello driven intro eventually lending itself into an impressive “Gold Standard” Epic Pop ballad that flows and ebbs its way through to emotional fruition. Track 3 “Blinded” keeps thing moving in the right direction with its infectious melody, steady flowing vocal delivery from Rasche, delivering impressive finale, and heartfelt/thought provoking message. The CD makes a great first impression dashing out 3 solid tracks in a row. I would classify this music as classically based but Alternative Pop, or Epic Pop with a dash of Celtic Rock/Pop and Alternative Rock. I can also hear Ambient Pop and unique elements of what I would call Alternative-Psychedelic Rock. The guitar playing from Herbert Kaptein is pretty consistent across the board. All in all the CD touches a wide range of musical styles. Besides the four piece standard you will notice impressive instrumentation with things like electronic beats and well-placed electronic/acoustic guitars, and amazing harmonies. The musicianship and musical touches from all three singers are clearly above the bar. In many ways this music is to me a combination of Tori Amos and Heart. As for the vocal abilities of (Salnikova, Rasche, Bredius) works extremely well within the confines of this catalogue. All three vocalists know how to sit deep within the pocket and sing a song with amazing vocal fluidity. All three singers showcase good control and remarkable power. Their voices go down smooth and fill the space peacefully and unobtrusively with an infectious classical edge. All three vocalists got a good vibrato and impressive Mezzo Soprano. All three showcase an impressive power, control and finesse. The songwriting consistent and rock solid across the board. The harmonies and melodies are well placed and well crafted. The multi-vocalist approach from Siren’s Sky are rock solid and delivers everything you would expect from a top-tiered musical Production such as this providing much in the way of musical variety and melodic layering. It definitely offers has a lot of musical depth and variety within the sonic space – but has a 90’s rocking feel. Siren’s Sky music reminds me of a combination between trippy and psychedelic Portishead, Evanescence, Heart, Tori Amos, Fionna Apple, Melanie C, Dido and even Lana Del Rey. I especially like how these three females harmonize with each other throughout the CD. All songs are well crafted and consistent across the board. From the striking “Blinded” to rocking “The Dream” to hypnotic “Dance” to brilliant “Autumn in Me” (Feat, Bredius) to heartfelt “Let Go” this CD has something for just about everyone. The CD ends with track 9 “Along the Beachline” the perfect finale statement for a CD like this.
I can barely hear the snare drum on Track 2. Timing issues between vocals and beat on Track 4. Something sounds out of synch on Track 4 with respect to the musical syncopation. There are many timing issues on many songs with respect to the drums and vocals. Timing between the 2 needs to be tightened up a bit on several tracks. The drums sound extremely robotic, predictable and overly synthetic and are in dire need of an upgrade. More instrumentation is needed to spice up the catalog a bit more. Things like Sonic Piano, Keyboard, synthesizers, more solo segments from Kaptein would add more depth and variety to the album. The musical break on Track 4 Blinded” around (2:43) comes across as sounding awkward. All songs over 4 minutes tend to drag you to the finish line.
From start to finish this “Forever” CD from Siren’s Sky delivers a unique psychedelic classic rock mojo and will a joy for those who like rock with a Celtic vocal overtones. At times they remind me a lot of Heart. The music is diverse, melancholy, lyrically fascinating, striking, and sonically entertaining. The songwriting – all consistent musical experiences, each one possessing a unique personality, flair and signature groove. The writing, playing and singing abilities of Siren’s Sky is consistent. The strong suit of Siren’s Sky is the unique approach of using 3 female vocalists in unison. Their artistic presence together or separately is to die for. The overall persona and psychedelic-neo-classical mystique of Siren’s Sky featuring Herbert Kaptien is something millions of people should gravitate towards.
7/10
Artist: Siren’s Sky: feat (Herbert Kaptien)
Album: Forever
Label: Independent Artist
Website: https://play.spotify.com/album/5hXFqqUHpKzUiCDwOo6s2k
Genre: Alternative Rock, Psychedelic Classical, Epic Pop, Celtic Rock
Sounds Like: Heart, Tori Amos, Fionna Apple, Melanie C, Dido, Cocteau Twins, Lana Del Rey
Technical Grade: 6/10
Production/Musicianship Grade: 7/10
Commercial Value: 7/10
Overall Talent Level: 7/10
Songwriting Skills: 8/10
Performance Skill: 7/10
Best Songs: Autumn in Me, Let Go
Weakness: Timing Issues, More instrumentation, Winded Songs, Overly robotic drums and rhythmic programming
~Cyrus Rhodes
