This Double does of Indie Music Reviews is sure to make you Shagreen from ear to ear

SHAGREEN

INDIE MUSIC REVIEWS WRITTEN BY JD ESTRADA

FALLING DREAMS

RELEASED ON MARCH 5TH, 2019

TRACKLIST:

1. The Beginning

2. Shadows

3. Anytime

4. Don't Stop Me

5. This This

6. Desire

7. Volta

8. Stay Right There

9. One Word

10. Killing

11. Falling Dreams

12. All Of Me

Do you like industrial rock and metal? Is Nine Inch Nails on your top 10 bands list? Do you like electronic elements with unique beats in your rock? Then you best pay attention to Shagreen.

WHAT THIS ALBUM DOES WELL: Natalia Gadzina is an independent singer/song-writer/producer from Poland and I’d been meaning to listen to her music for some time until last year I finally did and WOW did it leave a mark. Falling Dreams starts with a dark ambient track that could have appeared on NIN’s Ghost albums and is followed by Shadows, a dark-wave scorcher that makes you want to head bang and dance as you unleash any darkness within. Track three has a vibe slightly reminiscent of How to Destroy Angels, except that the textures here feel a bit more organic than HTDA until a digital snare beat slides in at the 1:15 mark. Natalia’s vocals occasionally remind me of Amy Lee, except she’s not singing to belt out a note or show off. It’s always in service of the song. In Anytime and the following track Don’t Stop Me, her silky vocals creep up on you and slowly slither all over your body with the patience and grace of a seasoned musician that knows exactly how to craft a dark and sexy song. Throughout Falling Dreams, Gadzina evokes a sexy darkness that is deliberate, patient, and meticulous in its attack. Each song is wonderfully layered and there are no weak tracks to be found. Instead, you get a debut album with a clear vision of who and what Shagreen is. The beats and arrangements are top notch and it’s the type of album you should listen on Repeat All. In short, the waters may be a bit dark, but the sonic currents of Falling Dreams feel good on ya, so dive right on in. 

Top tracks: Shadows, Anytime, Don’t Stop Me, Desire

YOU CAN GET FALLING DREAMS HERE

STANDSTILL

RELEASED ON APRIL 9, 2021

TRACKLIST:

1. This place

2. Bold lines

3. In stone

4. Fleeting whispers

5. We lost it

6. Time

7. Unimportant

8. Watching you

9. Any second now

10. Runaway

11. Fate

12. What are you now

WHAT THIS ALBUM DOES WELL: Picking up from the first album, Shagreen brings more sonic delights with her second LP: Standstill. From the get-go, you get the same intricate lush arrangements from the first album except that it’s clear that more instruments will definitely make their presence known since the drums and guitars in This Place bring a bigger energy to the music and in others tracks as well. Vocals continue to be lovely though always in service of the piece and never to outshine. That said, there is definitely more danceable energy in these songs. Case in Point is Bold Lines, whose guitars and droning beat are there to move you whether you want to or not. There are definitely some dark tracks to groove to but like the first album, Standstill has no weak tracks and also brings a nice array of sonic weapons to the fray. I did notice a bit more layers to the vocals and again, everything is nuanced, balanced, and feels right as it flows. Nothing is forced and I also appreciate how each track leads to another while still exploring the space and not conforming to one approach. In general, I think it’s kind of curious that the album is called Standstill because if anything is certain, it’s that these songs definitely invite you to do anything but stand still. 

Top tracks: This place, Bold lines, In stone, Runaway

YOU CAN GET STANDSTILL HERE