Indie and alt rock singer-songwriter Ehson Hashemian dropped his sixth studio album last month – a fifteen-track journey entitled Message exploring a soundscape unlike any other the artist has dared to experiment with before.
This Southern Californian artist (who rock-pop buffs may recall as playing a hand in founding the band Young The Giant) has kept alt rock as his main game since his debut album release, “Animation” in 2023. Picture the chart-topping aesthetics of Radiohead, The Strokes, Supergrass, The Killers, or practically any soundtrack hit from the original Inbetweeners TV show, and you’re already on the right track: a place where noughties nostalgia meets the bittersweet ambience of youth, heartbreak and underdog evolutions.
But for his latest album, Ehson Hashemian steps beyond his niche to entangle distant sounds within his core sonic aesthetic, staying true to his roots whilst letting them sprawl into abstract territories a world away from anything we’ve heard from Ehson before.
We’ll let the artist describe the adventure in his own words…
“Making use of the strophic form most commonly used in older African music, the stories in each song are told with vocal melody changes, rather than chord structure changes… [incorporating] African music influences using polyrhythmic guitar parts and minimalistic production to give the music a ‘live’ feel.”
Except it’s even more stunning than anyone would anticipate. His vocals feel instantly familiar, melting the iconically raw and imperfect tones of countless alt rock gods into a unique concoction which automatically sets Ehson’s hits amongst the greats. Hints of steel drums bleed through clean guitar riffs; kaleidoscopic rhythms replace the worn-out beats common to rock and all its subgenres, whilst Ehson’s vocal melodies tread a fine line between melancholia, apathy and hope.
“Get By” is a stellar example of the whole ‘no chord changes, only melody changes’ trick; the six-minute song pinned down by an impossibly small handful of guitar chords, each segment made distinct by its vocals alone.
All this might leave you wondering, “What is the album even about?” As Ehson Hashemian describes,
“[Message is] about the artist’s struggle to make a deep connection with others, and resorting to song to express their true feelings […] The songs all convey the message of the importance of staying optimistic during tough times, and finding a way to move on after whatever trouble comes your way.”
This album is a must-listen for any indie rock fans out there, leaving us with one final verdict: Highly Recommended.
BELOW: Listen to Ehson Hashemian and check out their music online. Please support Ehson Hashemian by visiting their website and playing, downloading, and/or purchasing their music. And, as always, thank you for supporting real music.