Meena releases debut album ‘Different Now’

Over the last five years, Manchester-based band Meena have been making an impact in the UK’s alternative music sphere with a sound that blends the dreamy haze of shoegaze with the immersive textures of electronic and trip hop. Since unveiling their sound in 2020, the group has released three EPs, each met with critical praise and earning them spots on Spotify editorial playlists.

Their music drapes emotion over atmosphere, creating tracks that feel at once intimate and vast, encouraging listeners to lose themselves in layers of shimmering sound. Now, Meena opens up an exciting new chapter with the release of their brand new debut full-length record titled Different Now.

It’s an album that builds on their established sonic output while stretching into new areas, balancing hushed tones with a cinematic aesthetic and bursts of musical energy. The album’s creation brought them into collaboration with some of the industry’s most respected names, including celebrated producer and mixer Ben H Allen, known for his work with Animal Collective, Gnarls Barkley, Soccer Mommy and Deerhunter as well as mastering engineer Frank Arkwright at Abbey Road Studios.

Opened by the rattling percussive snaps on “Doreen,” the crunch of guitar collide with the zap of synths to form a spacey soundscape that glides with airy melodies and smooth vocalisations to form an engaging intro piece. “Wonder” follows with the atmospheric punch of drums and smokey buzz of guitar lines, developing with rolling beats and delicate vocal layers to cast an engrossing scene that stands at the crossroads of indie rock and electronica.

“Wait” crafts a moody sound of thumping beats and wailing guitar textures, flowing with elegant vocal elements to forge a gripping musical experience that’s at once energising and mesmeric. Other highlights on the record include tracks like “Somebody” with its steady downtempo drums and hushed vocal performance which expands into an anthemic arrangement of smokey instrumentation and expressive vocal work.

Title track “Different Now” brings the bright twang of guitar and soothing layers of vocal loops, crafting an uplifting slice of avant-garde music before “Carte d’or” arrives with an absorbing sound of stacked instrumental tones and crisp hi hat flutters capped by hypnotic vocals. Songs like “Even Say” offer the perfect display of the band’s fuzzed-out sound and intricate writing, propelled by the lively pulse of percussion and tinged with psych vibes.

Closing the album with “Peter,” the soft drone of guitar and grooving punch of drums underpin reverb-drenched vocals on a track that progresses through moments of stripped-back dreamy bliss and rousing beat-driven passages, offering a spectacular finale to the band’s incredible debut record.

Listen to Different Now below