SIIICKBRAIN is a rising star in what's become known as the "nu gen" movement, combining different alternative and electronic genres into something altogether unique. Her debut album My Masochistic Mind made waves in 2023 and led to collaborations with artists like Maggie Lindemann and Willow, but now new album HOUNDSTOOTH sets out to capitalise on that rise.
The immediate change of note from My Masochistic Mind is the deeper focus on the last album's electronic aspects on HOUNDSTOOTH. The rock and metal elements of previous releases, such as occasional guitars and harsh vocals, have been stripped back in favour of a more industrial and trap-driven approach, with glitchy vocals a prominent feature in early tracks "PALO SANTO" and "FLESH", while Fetish collaboration "FILTHY" drives home the trap influences that take over through the middle section of the album.
Those who preferred the heavier elements of SIIICKBRAIN's earlier output might be disappointed by this full bodied embrace of electronic instrumentation over guitars, but it feels like a natural evolution of her sound. There is still room for those aspects of her sound to return as the nu gen movement takes a very liberal approach to genre classifications and is more than happy to change things up on a whim. "I LIKE" and "LOSER" have the uptempo industrial beats that set the tone for the latter stages of the album, and should keep those who prefer that more aggressive type of beat happy.
HOUNDSTOOTH is a natural evolution of the sound SIIICKBRAIN established on My Masochistic Mind even if a bit less aggressive than the debut album. There is a lot to like with the more focussed and cohesive approach to the album as a whole, and will cement the singer's status as one of the key figures of the so-called nu gen movement.
HOUNDSTOOTH is out now via Rise Records. Stream the album below.
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