Saybia
The Second You Sleep

THE REVIEW

Passion, sweetness, nostalgia, bitterness, at times sadness... these are the ingredients that give life to the sound of Saybia. The band was formed in Nyborg, a small Danish village, and the Nordic landscapes where the band members grew up forcefully enter into the images that listening to their music paints in the listener's mind. The band consists of five elements, in a lineup that sees acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards/sampling expertly fusing together.

After releasing a series of demos and EPs, they made their recording debut in 2002 with Medley Records Denmark, owned by EMI. The album is titled "The Second You Sleep" and I still remember when, almost by chance, I first heard the notes of "The Day After Tomorrow"... I was literally struck by them, so much so that I bought the CD blindly, without ever regretting it. What immediately strikes are the melodies, which, although always having a melancholic cast, are truly captivating; the sounds hover harmoniously, richly, creating relaxed, serene atmospheres, which inevitably catapult you into a reflective universe, where it becomes natural to surrender to memories, perhaps slightly regretting the past...

The lyrics often have a female figure at the center and narrate of loves, passions, but also of abandonments, of death; the content is strongly influenced by the experiences of the singer (Sören Huss), the band's sole songwriter, and at certain points, they almost seem like an attempt at self-analysis, an effort to exorcise the past in the hope of healing not fully healed wounds... it's no coincidence the investment, the passion, but also the torment that emanates from his voice simultaneously exudes emotion and suffering; his voice is stunning, powerful, and melodic, poignant and ethereal and provides a notable contribution to this beautiful debut album.

Truly an excellent start for a band that will know how to reaffirm itself with the subsequent "These Are The Days" in 2004 and that, at least as far as I'm concerned, has created many expectations for the new album that should be released during 2006. I do not deny that they haven't invented anything new, but for those who, like me, love to wallow in nostalgia, this album is truly recommended. Enjoy listening.