SASAMI – Blood on the Silver Screen

      Albums centered on empowerment often present challenging obstacles to navigate. It can feel akin to wading through a jungle filled with venomous snakes, a swamp laden with unseen traps, or a treacherous mountain range strewn with frozen remains. The distinction between ideals and delusions can easily blur, and there's always a risk that confident declarations evolve into unsolicited preaching.

      Fortunately, ‘Blood On the Silver Screen’ is not an album aimed at convincing or changing anyone. At its core, it presents a collection tinged with sadness: nostalgia, yearning, and self-criticism. However, it maintains a steadfast undercurrent of hope, joy, and the embracement of a carefree spirit.

      The opening track, ‘Slugger,’ pays tribute to Dolly Parton with the line, “Now I’m cry cry crying, like Dolly from ‘9 to 5.” Even though the song carries a deep sense of sorrow, it avoids becoming pitiful. The lively synths, Sasami's warm, rich vocals, and gentle self-reflection ensure this. “So I probably should have seen it coming,” she sighs, continuing the fast-paced track without pausing for breath.

      In fact, there’s minimal breathing space throughout ‘Blood On The Silver Screen.’ ‘I’ll Be Gone’ follows the same steady, danceable beat as ‘Slugger,’ coming after the subdued breakup song ‘Just Be Friends.’ After the brief reflection in ‘Just Be Friends,’ ‘I’ll Be Gone’ reintroduces the steadfast challenge of moving on; “it’s so tragicomic each time,” Sasami ponders, exasperated by her familiar cycle of longing and letting go. The standout grunge-influenced track ‘For The Weekend’ showcases Sasami's self-awareness and regret: “Can we just pretend? ‘Cause I’m only in love for the weekend.”

      Yet, there are glimpses of hope: in the slow, deliberate heavy guitars and synths of ‘Figure It Out,’ Sasami declares that she will always safeguard her love. The album’s finale—and arguably its finest track—‘The Seed’ is built around a raw guitar loop, showcasing Sasami’s most diverse vocal performance to date. She empowers herself to embrace her feelings, vowing to comfort her partner and alleviate their pain, complemented by layered harmonies and grunge-inspired guitars reminiscent of the 2000s.

      While the album explores themes of repeated mistakes and learning from them, ‘In Love With a Memory’ appears to unravel that progression. This standout track, with its ebbing synths, is filled with nostalgia that borders on longing, yet concludes with the line “That’s all right, all right,” signifying acceptance and certainty.

      ‘Blood On the Silver Screen’ serves as a confessional and authentic body of work that presents challenges and resolutions, possessing the potential to reshape its future. Although it may have fewer standout tracks than ‘Squeeze’ and the self-titled debut ‘SASAMI,’ it still features moments of beauty: particularly ‘The Seed,’ ‘Slugger,’ ‘For the Weekend,’ and ‘In Love With A Memory’ featuring Clairo. However, each track holds something to appreciate; this is undeniably a lyric-driven album for contemplative listeners. ‘Blood On the Silver Screen’ deserves to be experienced as it was meant to be: with profound thought, reflection, and empowerment.

      7/10

      Words: Erin Bashford