MINI-REVIEW: ‘Somniloquy’ by Shuichi — A Cornucopia of Self and Sound
Do not be deceived by its rather unwelcoming cover art.
Somniloquy is the sweet, cacophonous embrace one would never expect they would desperately crave upon hearing for the first time.
What Filipino artist extraordinaire Shuichi comes through with in 2020 is a solid, genre-fluid album that inventively fuses elements of R&B, shoegaze, dream pop, indie rock, and dance music without leaving a sour aftertaste, but is rather plated in such a way that provides an ominous progression from one track to the next.
Somniloquy is a sentimental album that lavishes on the idea of self-fulfillment. Eschewing tropes that evoke sonic uniformity, Shuichi, along with their producer Haute Couture, challenges their listeners with a series of chaotic lullabies that is superficially fragmented as it is internally whole.
They indulge with the thought to themself yet deny its resolution at the same time. And as oxymoronic as it may sounds, I think that’s where the beauty of Somniloquy lies.
