Sesh’s II is a Short Trip Through Dreams and Screams
By: Loren Powell
This little package of groovy warmth is the brainchild of Justin Sardinha, leadsinger and guitarist, Brandon Gallagher, on vocals and drums, and Andre Van Parys, on bass and keys. The four-track EP, simply dubbed “II” was released on Jan. 21st. It is the band’s fourth release, following I, Anomie, and Florida Street Trash, a collection of demos.
Justin’s varied style shines through on all four of these tracks, offering both soft and heavy vocals, as well as some different guitar styles. If the name Brandon Gallagher sounds familiar to you, it’s because he’s in nearly every band in Greenville—and with good reason—he is one of the best drummers around. Loud and strong without ever being overbearing or imprecise. Andre fills in all the right spots with funky basslines and soaring keys.
With SESH’s dreamy and occasionally ambient sound, kick-ass guitar licks, and plenty of effects, Pink Floyd is almost too easy of a comparison. However, one can also find touches of Wavves, Ty Segall, and My Morning Jacket. In contrast to other bands in their genre, these songs from SESH are short and sweet, all under five minutes. Some are pleasantly slow and dreamy without being too sludgy, others have a driving energy that still maintains an ethereal atmosphere.
These recordings are well-balanced, thanks to bassist Andre, who also mixed and mastered the EP. Those powerful drums and bass tucked just behind that psychedelic guitar has a tasty fuzz without getting lost in the shuffle. Don’t let these polished tracks fool you, though; The live experience is something else entirely. This three-piece will melt your face off. This writer cannot recommend the live show highly enough.
The opening track, “Nicotine,” starts us off on a sleepy road. Justin’s opening lead line has such a smooth tone that contrasts with the fuzzed-out rhythm line underneath that both fills it out musically and offers some emotional contrast. This song uses those two elements to explore complicated feelings between two people; sometimes sweet and sometimes sour.
“If I held you close it could have been alright,
but I had to leave to give us both some time.”
Track two, “Tired,” begins with a dreamy, catchy riff, but the lyrics are quite sad. There is such a contrast between the emotional tone of the verses and the chorus that offers so much interest. The music does a lot of the talking and the lyrics have a simple voice, letting the listener drift in the sea of sounds.
The second half of the EP is truly psychedelic, with heavy effects that give every note a little tracer. “Slow My Breathing” is at once trippy and bluesy. Brandon’s drums are precise and really shine as the driving force behind the tumbling rhythm of the song. Justin leans into these vocals with passion, and lets some of the natural rasp in his voice through. Combined with the wah on his lead guitar, this creates an expressive blues-inspired track.
The final track, “Long Time Coming”, is an awesome journey of a song. The soft fade-in, the back-and-forth between two notes that only seems to evolve more and never goes stale, these make it the most Floydian track on the EP. The interplay between softness and a sudden emotional spike makes you want to hit repeat as soon as those last notes fade out.
This last song hits a powerful crescendo when the other instruments drop out and Justin belts;
“pick up your dreams from the bottom and drag them around,
say what you’ve seen but we’ll never believe what you found”
These two lines have been stuck in my head for weeks, and they encapsulate part of the irresistible essence of SESH. A lot of work, and time, and a little bit of soul, and you end up with something magical and definitely worth playing just one more time… ‘cause you might not believe what you’ve found.
You can check the EP out on all major music platforms, and here on Bandcamp:
(https://seshtheband.bandcamp.com/album/ii )
See SESH live with support from GASP on February 28th at Birds Fly South Ale Project! Doors at 6pm, show at 7pm. The event page can be found here. (https://www.facebook.com/events/553282178608125/ )
