Gravity
Friends Of Friends, 2023
8/10
The UK native and now Los Angeles resident Somni, i.e. Leo Shulman, brings a diverse set of influences to these 11 tracks that fuse indie-folk, lo-fi hip-hop and electronic beats with much skill and creativity.
“Fleeting” begins the listen with a unique dreaminess that’s quite mesmerizing in its soft and ambient textures, and “Hold Tight” follows with a cozy intimacy that radiates a soulfulness amid the crisp beats.
In the middle, “Restless” carries a glitchy and atmospheric appeal that uses warm guitar as well as the unpredictable electronica, while “Lost” recruits Harris Cole for the waves of sparkling instrumentation and well placed beats alongside the expressive singing.
Close to the end, the gentle cooing of “Cracks” is met with melodic gestures and agile, synthetic exploration, and “Everything” exits the listen with a charming mashing of indie-folk and surreal hip-hop flourishes.
An extremely prolific artist, Somni has released music consistently since 2018, and the nods to legends like Elliott Smith and Modest Mouse help make his modern version of pop quite alluring.
Travels well with: The Seshen- Nowhere; Wolf Eyes- Dreams In Splattered Lives