Fast rising Manchester Alternative Pop band Hi Sienna are back with yet another treat for our ears. ‘Blue Pills and Arm Scars’, a heavy hitting song with incredible production, brilliant vocals and hugely catchy melodies.
‘Blue Pills and Arm Scars’ best feature, to my ears, is absolutely the performance on vocals. Just insane, there’s so much power behind the voice of the vocalist and that rasp that’s added to it just gives the vocal the grit it needs to push above everything else in this track and stand out. A soft vocal just wouldn’t have done it for this track. Tremendous.
Speaking on the track, writer and lead singer Poppy-Jo discusses the fact that when she was 17 she went through a tragic loss and the effects of medication for mental health conditions as well as the tough subject of self-harm. These subjects are often so hard to approach so to have done so in a way so profound is quite admirable on the part of Poppy. You really feel the pain of the words she sings in the song and adding the context of it all just sort of puts why this song is so emotional into perspective.
Beyond the phenomenal vocal in this track, there’s just so many brilliant factors, not least the production of the tune which ties it all together. There are obviously a lot of layers within this track and it can be hard to make them all sit with each other but there is so much clarity about this song. Every single detail can be heard with ease.
Hi Sienna have had a successful time of late with some great festival slots and headline shows, including a main stage slot at Truck Festival, a slot on the allotment stage at Y not and a headline show at Manchester’s iconic Deaf Institute. A band who are quickly building a fair amount of hype around their name and coming up with releases like this to just bolster that hype even more. You can’t help but like the music coming from Hi Sienna.
A sensitive song which hits hard with incredible musical aspects and great execution on all parts. “Blue Pills and Arm Scars’, a song which is definitely to be admired for everything it is and not one which I can find a single critique for.
Written by Simon Stirzaker
