Siberian

This Seattle band's debut [EP] is a sparkling set of melodic indie-rock, combining some gorgeous guitar jangle with frontman Finn Parnell’s emotive crooning. 10/30/2006 - KEXP 90.3 FM

Siberian has been quietly bobbing around in the saturated sea of local indie rock for a while. Even though the Seattle quartet's sparkling brand of guitar-laced beauty has brought them a few notable gigs at the Croc and Neumo's, until now they haven't had a proper release to keep them from sinking back under the radar once the show ended. Finally, the band releases Hey Celestial!, a warm six-song EP that's sure to cause hearts to flutter while cementing them into the minds of many.

Everything about the album is gorgeous—singer Finn Parnell's crooning is smooth and romantic, the guitars are unpredictably dynamic, and the drumming is crisp and quiet in the mix, letting Parnell's magnetic voice soar above the guitars. While some tracks portray a comforting sense of optimism, others ache with subtle heartbreak. In "Paper Birds," Parnell croons, "If I'm just an old flame/don't turn me on. Maybe I can change/It's so strange/what am I supposed to say?/I will learn to let go of this/where do I go now?" But if their lyrical skies are overcast, Siberian's melodies beam brightly through the clouds.

We see a more haunting, emotional side of the band with the closing track, "Talk to the Moon." Guitars playfully stab back and forth in the beginning, but it's where the song goes two minutes later that makes it the perfect closing track: The guitars flicker and build, there's a saw quietly echoing in the background, and at the climax the music falls all over itself, glittering through the atmosphere like a starry sky.
- The Stranger

An imaginary friend of mine recently described Seattle band Siberian's six-song EP Hey Celestial! as her "latest crush." This statement created an inquisitive eyebrow, a tilt of the head, and possibly an itch on the back of my neck. A crush? That's a pretty strong statement, and a word I haven't heard associated with someone or something since middle school.

It only took one listen to Hey Celestial! to realize why my friend feels the way she does. Siberian's music is, well, handsome. The guitars saunter with confidence and Finn Parnell's vocals are some of the best I've heard in a long time. His voice is so crystal clear you'd almost think it would be better applied elsewhere, but lucky for him, and us, Siberian's guitars and drumming keep up. It leaves you wanting more; you want to know all about this band, what makes them tick. What they like. What they don't like. Before you even realize it, you have a big, fat crush on Siberian.

With songs about his own crushes (and lost loves), Parnell paints pictures we can all relate to. But the songs don't come off sounding like they're created by a bunch of whiners. They describe situations of heartbreak without the "poor me" attitude that usually comes along with it. Parnell realizes the relationship is over, the girl is gone, or that she just didn't live up to his standards, and he retells it as to explain or warn, not to complain.

The first note of "Soft Rains" may make your heart skip a beat, and will keep you captivated with its soaring Brit-pop sensibilities and hook-filled melodies. When the last note of "Talk to the Moon" ends, you're left with a feeling, a feeling you can't describe. Guys might say, "That's right, I should have handled it like that. Thanks, dude." And girls are just left with a big ol' crush.

What does having a crush on Siberian's Hey Celestial! mean? If the definition of a crush is a "passing infatuation" — passing being the key word — then do we assume that the crush will fade, that a year from now we'll have only vague memories of a band whose name we don't even remember that used to make our stomachs clench, our palms sweaty, or our cheeks flush? How can you ensure it's not just a passing infatuation?

The answer is: go see them play live. In our metaphorical story here, seeing Siberian play live would be akin to becoming friends with a crush. And becoming friends with a crush is the best way to validate (or negate) your feelings.

Lucky you: Siberian's EP release show for Hey Celestial! is this Saturday, March 10th, at the Crocodile, with Youth Group. Go see them play live and (possibly) fall in love.
- Three Imaginary Girls

"Unlike most debuts, With Me gives listeners more than a few gems to last until the band really figures things out; it is a gem of an album that makes you wonder why many bands take 3-4 records to produce this level of quality. Frontman and co-founder Finn Parnell heads up the songwriting department, in addition to providing equally fiery and emotional falsetto vocals...Siberian confidently marches through lush guitar-driven atmospherics and unique pop compositions that give indie a new dimension." - KEXP - KEXP

"While gentrification consumes Seattle like a cancer, it's nice to know the city's music scene has remained, so far, intact. The best exemplifier of Jet City's musical health is the young foursome Siberian...Their debut LP is nothing short of spectacular. Don't be fooled by the oft spacey and shimmering guitars; the 11-song collection winds, bends and sometimes drifts between gentle and brutal approaches. It's at its best when swerving within carefully conceived and frequent outbursts of torrential sonic power. The bombast is never completely devastating though." - Seattle PI - Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"The debut release from Seattle-based quartet Siberian represents that rare breed of first album that shows not only the band's future potential, but also an actual mastery of production and composition. Too often up-and-coming bands are stifled by a lack of confidence and creativity when they get to studio, resulting in underwhelming and disengaging albums that do little more than replicate their live performances. Siberian alternatively gives us With Me, a collection of 11 songs that are as fully realized and compelling as anything yet to be released this year... it is clear that Siberian is soon to be launched out of the Seattle underground and into the realm of indie mainstays. There is not a single song on With Me that is not inventive, catchy and all around well produced, and as debut albums go, this is second to none." - The Justice - The Justice

"With Me demonstrates a depth of musicianship, songwriting, and attention to craft so rarely achieved on a debut — sometimes not even reached after two or three albums into a band’s career." - Three Imaginary Girls - Three Imaginary Girls

I love it when a CD just jumps right into it. No misleading intro track (aka CYHSY's debut), no spoken-word diatribe (aka every hardcore band ever) and no special effects build-up (aka most M83-ish albums) ...Siberian take the plunge right away and as a result they grabbed my attention. Now that they have it, do they deliver?

Why... yes! Hey Celestial! is an ebullient slice of super-glossy sunshine delivered on a pu-pu platter-style foundation of glitter-y guitars, tame drums and, as per usual these days, bass guitar that is nothing more than a pale shadow buried in the mix. But I’m not going to hold that against poor Siberian—signed to Seattle’s Sonic Boom Recordings—any more than I’m going to hold it against innumerable bands. But let it be said: It’s time to bring back the bass, people, no delayin’!

If you’re not too snobby to admit Coldplay have their better moments and enjoy atmosphere with your rock, you could do much worse than to step into the shoegaze-y echo chamber of Hey Celestial!. The songwriting gets dippy at times, but to be honest this is much better/less cheesier than the faux rok one hears on commercial radio, so who am I (or you) to complain? - Fence Post

KEXP:

My new favorite band: Siberian. Are these guys for freakin’ serious unsigned? [editor’s note: the band is now signed to Sonic Boom Records] Before their set, all I had known of them was that they opened for one of my favorite bands ever, Youth Group, a year previous. Opening for Youth Group is always a good thing. Siberian caroused through second year calculus level math rock, all the while staying tight and energetic. A Seattle powerhouse rock band, I see only good things in their future!

http://depts.washington.edu/kexp/blog/?p=3073

3IG:

Despite their young years, Siberian's music is mature with the Johnny Marr-esque guitar leads, a touch of Thom Yorke falsetto, and a hint of The Ocean Blue. The band isn't afraid to let the music breathe with only the drums holding on, which shows great maturity in their song writing.

http://www.threeimaginarygirls.com/BumbershootSiberian07sep - 3 Imaginary Girls & KEXP

I spent most of Siberian's set astonished at just how good they were and baffled by who they reminded me of. Had I heard them before? Do I own their CD? Now I remember that their lush shoegazy guitars probably sounded so familiar because I listened to a few songs on their website a couple weeks ago when I saw that they were playing with Wolf Parade...

http://seattle.metblogs.com/archives/2007/09/siberian_holy_f.phtml - Seattle Metroblogs