Oakland seven-piece The Seshen has been at the fore of Oakland’s teeming underground scene for four years now, offering an intriguing fusion of neo-soul, electronic, and hip-hop around lead singer Lalin St. Juste’s ethereal vocals. Their new Flames & Figures album will be out this Friday, but they’ve decided to give the world a sample with their first single from the project – which borrows from the album title.
“Flames & Figures” is a lush composition that’s immerses from the outset. St. Juste’s siren-like vocals sear over soft organ and synth play. The listener is submerged in calm waters before the rest of the instrumentation slides in to accompany her existential musings. The band’s Bandcamp page promises that the”album marks an evolution in The Seshen’s unique sound,” and a thorough listen to “Flames & Figures” makes that sound like more than a tropey marketing ploy.
The Seshen have something with the futuristic, soulful aesthetic they displayed on “Flames & Figures.” It will be interesting to hear the rest of that evolution on the 14th. You can pre-order Flames & Figures here.
