On Sian Alice Group’s debut, 59.59, there are songs ranging from 1 minute to almost 8 minutes long. Sometimes there are minutes of just distortion. There will be long intros filled with noises, sounds and no vocals at all. The multi-instrumentalists Rupert Clervaux and Ben Crook are the core of the band along with singer Sian Ahern. The London-based band is described as experimental and it is completely fitting. “Kirilov” could convey perfectly the mood of any Edgar Allan Poe story with its minor chords and moodiness. The song “Motionless” has a heavy drum line that could almost be described as tribal. The haunting vocals of Ahern make the song even more primitive and creepy. Ahern’s voice is often ethereal like on “Heartless” where it connects perfectly with the piano. The guitar repeats the same chords over and over on “Way Down To Heaven” with Ahern staying right in time. Throughout the album the band switches between styles covering all of their bases and earning their experimental moniker.

by Shannon Carlin