Sinnet

SINNET
Year of the Whale
4 tracks
The newest release from the rocking three-member (plus two alumni) Sinnet features a lush arrangement of pop-infused tunes that are catchy as hell and showcase a very talented group of young musicians. The title track is my pick—the sound is a great musical blend, and the lyrics have some cool literary references. The vocals on this EP are smooth and clean, and the overall high production value tells me this is a group which takes great pride in giving 110 percent to their music. The guitar, bass, drums and keyboard are blended together beautifully—this isn’t just an album, it’s a living thing that’s pulsing, thrashing, and fighting to break free. (Max Bowen) - The Noise

When I’m really reviewing music I’ve never heard before I try to play it at the very least 5-10 times in a row to get a feel for the tune. It only took the 2nd go around on Sinnet’s second release, The Year of the Whale, and the first song, “Nitetime Creepy Crawlies” to get my foot tapping at my desk.

By the 3rd play, I was thinking – wow, this is a great EP. By the 4th play, I really could see the effort put into The Year of the Whale by Aaron J. Spransy, Kevin Junker, Michael Brian Stewart (and produced by local legend Matthew Girard of Parks, and a 1,000 other projects).

This was a different Sinnet than 2012′s Midwest Manners which was 2/3s more sulky and a lot less catchy. They’ve stepped up their indie pop-rock game and become a more tighter unit. Don’t get me wrong, Sinnet still has the very similar and unique haunting lyrics and melodies that they released in their debut, but in my humble opinion adding a dance beat to a song just adds that certain needed spice to make it a hit.

Let’s go back to “Nitetime Creepy Crawlies” – I can’t stop….The silky sweet vocals of Spransy just add to the easy flow of the song, there’s nothing trying to hard but just enough to really capture my attention. - ftwelvemusic.com

he sun may be setting on summer, but Sinnet’s not ready for you to put away the bikinis and beach umbrellas quite yet. They just dropped a bright new EP, Year of the Whale, a radiant follow-up to 2012’s moodier Midwest Manners.
Spransy has traded crawly chords for catchy cadence, highlighted most acutely at the beginning of the final (and title) track, “Year of the Whale.” It starts in a hollow, echoey sounding room with a simple piano in the style of the last LP, when in-jumps the caffeinated disco drums, effortless bass, and bubbling guitar, carrying off into a full-on pop-rock song. Considering what a departure the new sound is from the old, they may as well have just pulled down your underwear and screamed “gotcha!” before running away laughing. Sinnet’s evolving style coats still-haunting lyrics and beautiful melodies in a rich new glaze, glowing with precious dregs of the season’s warmth.
Don’t miss the EP release party this Saturday, August 17th, at Great Scott, where you can pick up the new digital release. Better yet, grab yourself the 7” limited-release vinyl pressing and keep your Allston street-cred in tact. - They Will Rock You

Sinnet
Year Of The Whale
2013

Remember that Sinnet song I loved so much? “Year Of The Whale”? Well, it’s now available on vinyl! Yay! The B-side is “Searching For Spectors,” which continues the band’s ability to walk the tightrope stretched between natural feel and slick production. The harmony vocals really shine on this one. Oh, and the handclaps. Can’t forget the handclaps.

But wait, there’s more! The download that comes with this record is for a four song EP. In addition to the two songs on the vinyl, you get a couple of bonus tunes. The first, “Nitetime Creepy Crawlies,” is a real gem. It’s the poppiest number of the bunch. It wears that distinction with pride. “Everybody Into The Pool” brings back a haunting piano sound, like the one in “Year Of The Whale,” before launching into another quality indie rock number.

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The grooves of this small-hole, 33 ⅓RPM 7″ are pressed into cool dark gray marble vinyl. The rest of the package is the tried-and-true white sleeve/fold over/vinyl bag combo. - Daykamp Music

Sinnet “Year of the Whale” ALBUM REVIEW
Sinnet Year of the Whale CoverWhen Sinett’s new release “Year of the Whale” came across my desk I did what I do with every other recording kicked over for a review. Press “repeat all” and hunker down for a double fisting of commuter hours. This may sound like some kind of self imposed torture, it isn’t, I promise, there’s a method to my madness. I like to put a recording to the test. Great bands have the ability to capture a performance that engages the listener, opening a window into aspects of their creative process. These bands can work as a unit inducing a reaction, giving fans a “space” to feel, and dance and be sexy. Effectively sending an invitation to “get lost in the music”. We all know what it feels like to hear THAT SONG. Eyes open or closed, at work or on the edge of sleep, it doesn’t matter, your heart skips a beat and your throat tightens with the urge to sing along.


Sinnet Band PhotoSinnet’s sophomore effort “Year of the Whale” has flashes of that brilliance. Take for instance the rising musical action of “Nitetime Creepy Crawlies”.
I couldn’t tell you what happens in the first minute and 45 seconds. It doesn’t matter, because as soon as the chorus hits I’m singing along regardless. The intro into the chorus is simple but clever as shit walking into a hook that WILL NOT VACATE. Those glimpses of first rate song writing, their ability to bait a hook kept me listening over and over again for those Easter Eggs laid by genius The dark horse, and my favorite song on the EP from a production perspective is “Searching for Spectors”.

Reasons:
1. Clap Track. Nuff said.
2. Tight ass drum track: tightest on the recording by far, Michael Bryan Stuart is a fucking beast.
3. Best use of background vocals on the ep. It sounds like folks were tossed in a room to sing, and they USED that room sound. In my humble opinion it’s a sound that suits Sinnet well.

Sinnet Year of the Whale Cover “Year of the Whale” is a solid second effort from a band working into a unique sound, and it deserves a listen if you’re looking for new Boston local music. I hope to see more from Sinnet in the very near future, preferably something live or acoustic to REALLY showcase the songwriting capabilities of their creative team. These cats may not have the polish of some of our fair city’s more storied acts, but with a few years of gigging and writing together they’ll be a good bet to launch into the national scene.

-KC Hoye - Full Scene Ahead

What is this? It’s got a danceable beat and a locked-in baseline, but that piano is haunting. The guitars? They’re just flat out cool. What is Sinnet doing to me? I’m all confused and I like it. “Year of the Whale” has me hooked. The verses are solid. The chorus hits hard. Between the two is a biting little guitar line that is about as subtle as shock therapy. It’s such a great transition riff. Sinnet is on to something. I’m really digging this song. - Daykamp Music

Sitting at the bar in Great Scott at Saturday night all I could hear around me was the sound of everyone talking about how excited they were to see Tim Kasher. I was there to see Sinnet and I thought it strange that everyone would be so excited about the opener. It wasn’t till I saw the first band setting up on stage that I put one-and-one together. Tim Kasher was the Tim Kasher—from Cursive. And Sinnet wasn’t the headliner—they were the opener. I’d mistaken the lineup order. However, at the risk of blaspheming it should have been Sinnet headlining that night.

It’s always fun to watch an act win over a disinterested audience. For Sinnet it took about 30 seconds to get a talkative crowd to quiet down and listen. The attractive thing about this band was their ability to goof off on stage—at one point they broke into an improvised version of the Bagel Bites jingle. You could tell they were enjoying themselves on stage. But before I give the wrong impression I should say Sinnet has some serious chops.

Sinnet’s sound is hard to classify. Guitarist and vocalist, Aaron Spransy describes it as “spooky-pants pop,” most likely referring to the haunted quality of their song Castlevania, which was named MP3 of the week in the Boston Phoenix back in early February of 2012. However, the monogram on their drum set—mountains that look like they’ve been drawn in crayon—and their use of synth-riffs, gives the spookiness of Sinnet’s sound a sense of sarcasm. “Castelvania,” sounds as if Sinnet drew their inspiration from the underworld level in Mario.. Though “Castlevania,” certainly demonstrates Sinnet’s creativity it would be hard to argue that it’s representative of the band’s overall sound.


Sinnet still seems to be at a point where they are trying on different styles—the difference from one song to another is so stark that all of them sound like different bands could have written them. The song “Let’s Play Poison” is reminiscent of the emo and skater rock, I cherished when I was still in middle school. “Paper Chandeliers” on the other hand has a lounge-like feel to it—its seductive dissonance seems appropriate for the title sequence of the next Bond Movie. Now if you’re looking for an explanation as to where Sinnet gets their eclectic sound, you could probably chalk it up to how the band was formed.

Two years ago Aaron Spransy (Guitar, keyboard and Vocals) was living in Milwaukee. After writing some music he began looking for other musicians to play what he had. Using Craig’s list he found, Mario Pedroso (guitar and vocals), John Drislane (drums) and Joel Reader (Bass and vocals)—all of which are Boston Locals. This patchwork group of Bostonian expats came together to put out Sinnet’s first EP “Midwestern Manners” which was released February of 2012.

And though they haven’t released any other recordings since, they’ve been hard at work and are ready to get back in the studio. After their set I sat outside with drummer John Drislane. “We got like four songs we need to record and we should be coming out with a single real soon.” Both Spransy and Drislane say the band doesn’t have enough material to record a full album, yet—but they’re hard at work and that’s what counts.

Now this isn’t all to say that the other acts of the night aren’t worth mentioning. Following Sinnet was Nate Kinsella’s one-man act, Birthmark. His sound can be described as ambient, ethereal, soothing, and minimalistic. With melodically beautiful yet simple looping, Kinsella had the audience in a trance. But its Birthmark’s vocals that are curious to me. With a grizzled, salt and pepper beard you’d expect Kinsella to growl into the microphone, instead there is a delicateness to his voice.

Cursive’s Tim Kasher has a desperate and yearning voice that’s perfect for drinking at dive bar after your girlfriend left you for another man. His songs are the sound of frustration, of things that aren’t fair, people that are twisted and moments that are absurd. His song writing abilities are brilliant, but as a solo act he failed to fill up Great Scott with his sound. A headliner should be able to fill the space; to make his or her sound feel like it was coming from all around you. Kasher’s voice rattled in the walls like pebbles in a can, which is why I think Sinnet should have been headlining that night.

Hopefully Sinnet will be coming out with new tracks soon. I imagine that if they keep playing enough people will start demanding a full-length album, which is the highest compliment that I can give to musicians. We want to hear more, so get to work.

- Sandor Mark - Allston Pudding Music Blog

This EP (a humble thing to call the seven expansive songs of “Midwest Manners’’) finds local trio Sinnet ripping their way through a very studious, carefully arranged, and sometimes cathartic slew of twangy indie-pop. This crew operates on solid melodies cribbed from ’90s alt-rock, including nods to the stubbornly introverted (plenty of Elliott Smith influence here) and the perfectly commercial (opener “Paper Chandeliers’’ even brings to mind the days of Fastball and Wallflowers). Either way, Sinnet has plenty of tricks up its sleeve. Chilly electric pianos glide past overlapping chords in the lilting “Everything Went Pear Shaped’’ and the thunderous, dirging “Playing the Skeleton Keys.’’ In all, “Manners’’ brings to mind the dusty, stoic Midwest of Steinbeck and “The Last Picture Show,’’ the latter reinforced by the album’s kicker of a cover tune - an echoing, empty soda shop rendition of “Be My Baby.’’ Now and then, strained emo vocal inflections sneak in as reminders of a contemporary scene littered with glossier versions of the stuff (like Dawes). It’ll be great to see how much farther off the beaten track Sinnet can stray. - Boston Globe - Matt Parish

Short and Sweet: WMSE Talks to Sinnet

Reunions are always good. This is a thing that Aaron Spransy knows for certain. The former Milwaukeean and Milwaukee musician is heading back thisaway this weekend for a show with his new Boston-based band, Sinnet. The trio plays the most fun moody pop you’ll hear this summer and their new EP Midwest Manners is a fine tribute to Spransy’s past Milwaukee musical efforts and his Midwest roots. We got a chance to check in with him before he arrives at Milwaukee’s Cactus Club tomorrow for a show with the new EP on full display. Want to listen before you go? Link up to Sinnet’s Bandcamp page and absorb some midwest manners before you head on out.

How long has it been since you’ve moved from Milwaukee and what city do you call home now?

It will be three lovely years in August. I now make Boston, Massachusetts my home. Marlo Pedroso (guitar) and John Drislane (drums) both live in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. Bob Gaszak, also a former Milwaukeean, has been living in Seattle for the last year and flew all the way to Boston to play bass on tour…what a guy!

What bands were you involved in when you lived in Milwaukee?

Bob and I both played in Sleep Tight Company, Spransy & Kolb and Those Royals. I also played in a band called Radio Tokyo and Bob was in a great band called The Meteah Strike. I’ll stop the list there and not go into embarrassing high school band names.

What tactics did you use to form a new band in a new city? Anything fancy?

We dragged a large net through Allston (rock city) catching anyone who looked remotely like a musician (which is everyone). A few bystanders and can collectors were caught by accident. They were released, unharmed. Just kidding…is Craigslist fancy? ‘Cause that is where this all started. I moved to Boston and played music with pretty much anybody that wasn’t scary. Eventually I met John and Marlo as well as a few bass players who have come and gone. I also met a fellow named Joel Reader of Mr. T Experience/Pansy Division fame who has helped us out in immeasurable ways.

What kind of music does Sinnet write — is it all video game slanted like your single “Castlevania”?

Video games are for children and nerds. Kidding, again…Sinnet plays adventurous, moody indie-pop tangled up in fuzz and spooky bits. Many of the songs follow traditional pop formats with plenty of room for exploration and weirdness. There is less ‘cute’ than some of my past bands and more darker tones and sounds. Also, more keyboard! This marks my first time writing songs on keys!

Why are you heading back to Milwaukee for a show and what are your plans for the summer?

Bob and I love Milwaukee! We all wanted to tour and what better place to go? I get to show my Boson boys my hometown and what ‘Midwest Manners’ are all about (shameless EP plug)! We are doing this as part of a two week tour through the Midwest and East Coast. Then Marlo will be hiking the AP trail while we star up some new recordings of the full band!

Catch Sinnet live at Milwaukee’s Cactus Club (2496 S. Wentworth) this Friday, July 6th for a 9:30 p.m. show with w/ Hearts of Stone, Caupan Life and Archie Powell & the Exports. - WMSE Music Blog

Sinnet - From Boston (with connections to Milwaukee) comes this twin guitar quartet on their first tour. One guitarist handles the lead vocals and also moves over to keyboards now and then. My first impressions are that of a soulful indie rock band that knows what they are doing. But during the nicely composed opening number, they explode with an instrumental break that comes straight out of Sonic Youth (might as well, they aren't doing it anymore). The next cut had a speedy tempo with a nice pop groove working. They range from quirky rhythms to focused power as they play on. The band continues with some really creative instrumental flourishes and keep the 25-30 listeners on edge throughout their 35 minute set. This could be DMZ members mixing with Birdsongs of the Mesozoic covering Feelies songs... or not. Whatever you hear in here, this is music you'll want to hear again. Although it appears they are experienced pros, it is early in their career as Sinnet, so hopefully this is the start of something. - DC ROCK LIVE

On "Paper Chandeliers", the opening track to Midwest Manners, Sinnet's seven song EP, it's hard to resist the sultry and mysterious swing of the song. As Aaron Spransy sings, you are "so mesmorized" by the way this song moves. Both this song and "Castlevania", the two opening tracks, are irresistably catchy. The music is the product of Aaron Spransy, having written, recorded and performed all that is on Midwest Manners with the help of Alexander Boyes and mastered by Taylor Barefoot. [Bandmates include John Drislane, Marlo Pedroso and Matt Girard]

Where Aaron seems to excel is in these catchy yet just left of center melodies that give it their mystqiue. When he goes straighthead on songs like "Let's Play Poison", there seems to be something left on the table.

Aaron's cover of "Be My Baby" (Phil Spector) is bold. Trying to cover any Phil Spector when you are a stand alone artist is ballsy. But Aaron seems to be willing to put his neck out there and try new things, which is key for a band just getting their barrings. Also, if you are looking for a band for your Bar Mitzvah, they are open for booking.
- Boston Carnivore DOT com

Aaron Spransy knows a thing or two about Midwest Manners. The Wisconsin native has been settled here in Boston for some time now, playing around town as guitarist for indie-pop melody makers the Fatal Flaw, but his own musical vision recently crystallized with SINNET. His two-mikes-and-a-laptop bedroom project — which he admits was born during more isolated and “less employed” days— has now evolved into a full-fledged band. That fleshing out of sound should nicely augment “Castlevania,” a smooth-as-fuck electronic pop soul-sucker that’s the lead single off an eclectic collection of lush sounds and lively spirits. This Saturday at the Middle East, Midwest Manners gets due release-party attention alongside Soft Pyramids, Diamond Mines, and One Happy Island, and then Sinnet hit the stage again after the Valentine’s Day jump February 22 at Church. Show some manners of your own and acquire the “Castlevania” MP3 right now. - Boston Phoenix - Michael Marotta

The first thing I notice when I listen to Midwest Manners is the mellow, almost laid back mood of the music. Album opener “Paper Chandeliers” displays this calm, relaxed vibe and delivers a catchy, danceable, and overall accessible tune. In general, every song is rather accessible and the production is fairly clean. I am specifically noting the clean sound of the album because according to Sinnet’s Bandcamp page, this release was “recorded with two microphones and a laptop in various bedrooms and practice spaces around town, without the use of any new fangled pitch correction or beat detection. Just the facts, just the fax.” The small scale production here naturally has an impact on the sound of the music and in this case, the band is able to produce a feeling of warmth and closeness with the listener in just about every track. This just goes to show how far musicians can go today with limited recording resources. Of course, the band’s clear talent as musicians and songwriters doesn’t hurt either; they have a knack for writing songs with strong hooks for sure. At heart, Midwest Manners is an all around mainstream pop album and I can see their music having mass appeal. At times the record is a bit too structured, conventional, and simply too “nice,” at least for my tastes, which admittedly are often outside of the mainstream. With that being said, I think that is exactly what a lot of listeners will find comfort in, the familiar. One of the last tracks is a cover of the Ronette’s magnum opus, “Be My Baby.” This song is a favorite of mine, so when I see it listed here, I am curious to see what neat touches Sinnet will bring to the table in their version. Fortunately, I am not disappointed and their cover certainly has merit, creating an interesting contrast to the original. Unlike Phil Spector’s heavy, almost overwhelming, wall of sound production style, the band, in typical Sinnet fashion, keeps things simple and pushes the vocals upfront and not buried behind the production, also unlike the Ronettes’s/Spector’s version. With Midwest Manners Sinnet creates a consistent, comfortable sound for themselves that is sure to please many listeners around the Boston area and beyond. - The Noise - Chris DeCarlo

2012 is already shaping up to be the year of atmospheric rock, and Midwest Manners, the debut EP of local artist Sinnet, is no exception. Spearheaded by Aaron Spransy, his liquid silver voice threads songs both tormented and lighthearted in a way only a Midwest-to-East Coast transplant’s could.
Of the seven songs on Midwest Manners, most of the cuts toe the same line. The album’s tone is set with opener “Paper Chandeliers,” a modernized synth-laden soul, reminding me a bit of Josh Ritter in its singer/songwriter style. It flows into “Castlevania,” which could be the Transylvanian theme song for Sesame Street’s “The Count” if he wore plastic-rimmed frames and his cape were made of plaid. On this track, steady drums build structure around eerily playful synth hooks.
The third song on the album, “Let’s Play Poison,” is a total departure from the rest of the album’s sound. It’s the kind of song you might’ve heard on alternative radio in the late 90s, or perhaps would have been nestled into the Can’t Hardly Wait soundtrack. While I realize the reference I’m about to make is so obscure you’re not even going to be able to look it up on the internet because it predates Myspace and the ubiquity of Google, I’d be remiss not to mention this song’s striking vocal similarity to a *very* local Milwaukee high school band popular to suburban kids in the late 90s. And while I realize saying that the song sounds like the band Last Flight Home means diddly to most of you, since Spransy is from the Milwaukee area, I’m tickled to think he may have drawn inspiration from these guys when we were all kids. Indeed, if any of the songs on this album are true to the sound of a creature that grew up in the Midwest, it’s this one. As alternative throwbacks begin to make their resurgence, songs like this are leading the pack with their dead-on execution – it makes me gooey with nostalgia.
“Everything Went Pear-Shaped” and “Playing the Skeleton Keys” return to the original vibe of the album. In the first, you really get to appreciate the pureness of Spransy’s vocal tone in the haunting melody. The second is lyric-free, but still absorbent in its spooky-groove. Dark and steady, this track conjures trippy images of glitter swirling in a glass of water, or perhaps of snow fluttering steadily at your windshield on a late-night drive. It is an entrancing interlude.
“Be My Baby” is the EP’s only cover song, and a smart take on the old Motown classic. Sinnet makes the song current and a little more pleading, but doesn’t lose the charm of the original. It also makes me wish someone would ask me on a date to the soda shoppe.
The album floats into finale “Silver Line the Silver Lining,” which picks up where “Playing the Skeleton Keys” left off. In a weird way the song reminds me a bit of Blondie’s “Call Me” in melody, or at least until Spransy opens his mouth, anyhow. His signature synth/organ/bell sound wraps the song and permeates the majority of this EP with his distinct blend of singer/songwriter electronica.
According to Sinnet’s bandcamp site, the EP was recorded in random bedrooms and practice spaces through just two mics and a laptop. This may not be a highly produced EP, but what it lacks in polish it makes up for tenfold in songwriting. The songs are complex and gripping, eager to spill into the realm of spectacular. Crafted without the aid of any newfangled recording toys, Spransy has still managed to create a beautiful record with a clear picture of where he stands as an artist. This is a guy you’re going to want to watch out for, and if you want to know what’s best about local artists, picking up the Midwest Manners EP is essential.
To get a taste for yourself, swing by the EP release party this coming Saturday, February 4th, at the Middle East Upstairs. Playing with Soft Pyramids, Diamond Mines, and One Happy Island, the first fifty attendees will earn themselves a free copy of the new disc. - They Will Rock You! by Dorise Gruber