There are a lot of aspects that might make up a wonderful record. It could be the technicality in the music, lyrics, production, the vibe or perhaps even minimalism. Nicole Sabouné’s ‘Miman’ is all about that wonderful and soothing vibe on the entire record. More often than not, there’s always something missing on an album within its finer nuances. ‘Miman’ happens to be one of those few instances where the album is complete in every sense of the term. It achieves what the resonance and feeling the music and the creativity that Nicole Sabouné is trying to showcase and it’s absolutely marvelous.
The album starts with “The Body”. The tones and the textures in the music are pretty damn unconventional. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I guessed that this made a pretty fine start to the album. At first the music felt relatively peaceful but it wasn’t too long before I was able to capture the aggressive hues in the music. Songs like “Right Track” and “Bleeding Faster” highlight these aggressive hues and moods in the album. The music comes off with a very ‘folk’ vibe but as a listener, you’re immediately left wondering what is up with this music. The music is certainly odd and very different but nonetheless really good. A combination of atmospheric heaviness and dark instrumentation as an idea is suggestive of an idea that many have tried in the past but the arrangements on the record sound so different and oddly appealing. In the midst of the dark instrumentation, the singing adds so much depth and life to the music. The music comes off very eerily with a cold personality with nothing to hide.
“Under Stars (For The Lovers)” is a relatively minimalist song. The music on this song is supportive of the singing. The music adds ambience to the singing. Despite the simplicity, there is a lot of definition in this song. Its magical. Things get a little groovier with songs like “Lifetime” and “Rip This World”. The album slightly changes direction from here on despite holding on to its dark and atmospheric origins. The music isn’t minimal any more but neither isn’t a buffet of all sorts of crazy things. The music is a balance. “We’re No Losers” follows the same idea of introducing a little more groove in the music with a very strong retro vibe. There’s a lot happening on this song right from the singing to the instrumental side of things. The rhythm section really creates a string foundation here and leaves a lot of space for anything elements to build over it. “Withdraw” is a minimalist-esque song and also at the same time not entirely. There’s a lot of emphasis on the atmospheric vibes the music creates. The instrumental parts and the beautiful singing add to the atmospheric vibe the music creates. There’s so much emotion on this song. It feels as though the instrumentation creates a mood and context for the singing, as though if it were a situation. “Frozen” is the entirely of the album in one song. It has everything the album has to offer in one package with a lot of other new aspects to the sound. The build-up on this song is absolutely wonderful. As the song progresses, it feels like it was something that you’ve wanted in the song and comes right in. The song moves into more depressive parts with a very strong ambient DSBM vibe.
‘Miman’ will be one the best things to ever happen to you. ‘Miman’ is an album that comforts the soul and the disturbed. It warms the heart and adds so much color to an otherwise often bland and monochrome world (both musically and physically). There’s so much to connect to with this wonderful album. The dark music and the soulful singing will haunt the senses. Perhaps one would complain about the quality of production. And in all fairness, they might have a point at first. I think that this album is one of the best produced records ever. Miman is all about the vibes, feels and chills. That is the essence and the mood of this beautiful album. Good production captures the mood of a record and presents that mood in all honesty. The production is just right on this. The raw production adds a new level to the dark and ambient music of the album and the singing sounds so natural and alive. The production quality completes this album and does justice to everything that ‘Miman’ has to offer. The retro vibes in the album are sure to resonate well with many listeners. Despite the music being so different, there’s a lot of nostalgia to offer.