quannnic Invites Listeners To A Shapeless World On 'kenopsia'
I've seen quannnic repeatedly popping up over the past year, and when I finally listened to the music, I quickly understood the hype surrounding the sounds from this avant-garde artist. The seventeen-year-old seems to bear influence from nostalgic rock and dance music on most songs, then adds their interpretation of new pop and electronic. The best part about these sounds is there's no right or wrong, pushing the envelope for creativity to infinity, leaving it up to the listener to determine what sounds good. To me, quannnic's ideas and vision not only feel good; there's potential to stamp a blueprint for many newcomers and the future generation's take on the sound. The ability to bring a foundation of gritty rock and turn it into a soothing and euphoric energy is the pioneering artistry quannnic brings to their new album, kenopsia.
There's a specific texture found in each track on kenopsia, some kind of subtle power, if you will, that quannnic invites and seamlessly passes to listeners. Listening to just the first three tracks will be much more descriptive than my words could be; it's difficult to explain. The first track, "think with your lungs," immediately sets that texture, where quannnic seems to be guarding a feeling or spirit. The instrumentation begins with slow and dingy guitars, soon transitioning to a beaming electronic expedition. Track two, "sorry days," is a voyaging take on contemporary grunge sounds, and quannnic is apologetically sinking in a mental and physical absence. Even the erratic and glitchy ending still brings peace, which is perhaps the most sonically intense point in the album. "what does this room look like" comes at the middle of the tracklist, offering a concoction of electronic rock and vocals painting a void of emptiness. Track seven, "snarky," presents a personal favorite, where rough tones encapsulating feelings of bliss pair with decaying vocals. Track nine, "stick," brings more dirty textures that somehow turn to relaxation through mesmeric vocal performances from quannnic and kmoe. Track ten, "gesture gesture gesture," ties all recurring themes into one final piece; gripping yet soothing vocals and a comforting aura, all fastened together through quannnic's imagination.
If you have yet to hear what quannnic has to offer, this album is a great place to start and will likely have you coming back for more. Stream kenopsia below.