Shell (EP 2024)

Indie rock

The Danish indie-rock artist Sasha Adrian, who we could see at Waves Vienna, has brought us her second EP “Shell” (04.10.2024), almost exactly a year after her debut EP “Token” (06.10.2023), an intimate and honest window to her soul and life experiences. Sometimes, it has notes of humoristic sense and other times, it has raw bluntness.

With a clear influence by lyricists like Phoebe Bridgers and the tunes of Snail Mail, Sasha opens her heart, and EP, with “IMDb” where she confesses to us, without shame, the self-inflicted spoiler to minimize the anxiety of the unknown. To be more precise, when one is “in far too deep to keep a safe distance in between” one’s crush and oneself, who could honestly say hasn’t felt the starting fear of a new relationship?

All those fears and traumatic experiences are hard things to digest or process, let alone overcome. Sasha narrates in the homonymous “Shell” a paralyzing situation of abuse she had suffered. Strong and deep guitars exemplify the freezing and tying shock as a response to the plight.

Heartbrokenly, “Free of You” displays the frustrating grief of the process of overcoming the abuse. The deft of inner peace is not as easy to solve as calling insurance, a broken body and heart leave scars and Sasha has revealed them to us with this song.

Along the way to seek to heal, “Appointment” narrates us a mid-step of that journey. Self-prosecution on Dreamland, self-sorrow, and disappointment, are all part of that necessary healing seekness.

As a manner of conclusion, “Adult” summarizes the burden of an entire generation of young adults, the full responsibility for our own happiness. Sometimes self-criticism is a violent way to put oneself down and with this spirited tune and aspirant lyrics, Sasha promotes to be more forgiving with ourselves.

All in all, “Shell” recounts the back story, development, and healing journey after Sasha’s experience of sexual trauma. From anger through grief, therapy, and self-love. With lyrics and sounds that capture those same emotions and phases. Considering the raw and tough topics covered, Sasha doesn’t back up and displays her emotions with earnest dark humor. And let me self-reference a thought I had from the first time I listened to her, “There is always something about the Nordic sound that talks directly to one’s insides.”.