This Time (Album 2023)

Ismena

Dreamy Melancholic Dark Indie Folk

The dark and the heavy are closely related. Metallic acts like Opeth combined the loud and noisy with sweet and quiet notes. Amenra went on tour celebrating the silence. Sooner or later, it seems valid to calm down a bit. So does a singer-songwriter on her new album after „Breathe Me“, „Heaven“ and „Until We Part“. 

With her band, Ismena definately fancies some rocking vibes. „This Time“, she turns out her inner self the acoustic way. Soft guitar strumming and piano chords accompany beautiful melodies, carrying on away through the air from the early beginning like the folk of Yunger or DuoLia.

These keys, guitar notes and bass e.g. in „Nothing Remains“ bring up ballads like „Home“ from the Foo Fighters (ones again). Gentle rhythms and dissonant harmonies build bridges in „Let You Down“ like Ivery does. Declared as love song, „Today“ turns out as a personal highlight because of the mood it transports. 

This could be from World’s Worst Poet, Diver or Yann Tiersen. The next simple but fine chord progression somehow reminds of the mighty Tenacious D as well as of Justin Currie. A little bit later, the piano melody and singing line captivate you ones more in „Fear“. Several voices pierce through your soul like Hellsongs can.

Ismena ends this solo album significantly with the title track. The love for the gloomy atmosphere and the heart on the tongue make „This Time“ the listening experience it is. Even more special, Electric Spark puts it out on 180 grams vinyl and even with polylined inner- and polybag protective sleeve. 

To celebrate this – not only musically – high quality record, Ismena invites to the db’s in Utrecht. Support comes from Pim van den Werken and Richard Cejer, and Loudmouth designed a poster with dying flower in the front and waterdrops on a dark glass in the back.