Sienná – EMA

Sienná – EMA – Album Review

Here she comes to save the daaaaaaaayyyyy!

Or perhaps more accurately, the year.

You don’t even know how happy I’ve been to have new music by Sienná coming through my speakers right now.  As some of you regular readers have likely noticed by this point, 2026 has been TOUGH to say the least.  Whether it’s the amount of submissions, or the quality of’em…I’m not sure what else can be said other than highlighting how much of an anomaly that this year has been in comparison to the other fourteen & counting we’ve been around for, so far.  So you betcha – if one of the best to ever do it, aka Sienná in this instance, has got a new record out, you can count on me wanting to listen, every time – but to be completely honest with ya, it feels like 2026 needs her more than any year I’ve experienced to-date.  Not all superheroes wear capes, as they say…some of’em make music deep in the heart of the Kibune Valley in Kyoto, and Ischia Island in Italy.  I truly couldn’t be more thrilled to have her back in action…I’ve always loved Sienná’s music, spirit, and creatively innovative approach to the craft…in fact, you’ll find my love for her sound traces all the way back to 2017 when I first started listening, and when our readers consequently went on to vote her in as our official Best New Sound of that very same year.  We go way back at this point my friend!  Next April will be a whole decade of listening to Sienná’s music.

Like for real…when “Be A Seeker, Believer” started up, it was like a return to the freakin’ womb y’all.  The start of EMA sounds so…spiritually soothing…comforting…naturally welcoming…all of these things, and it doesn’t take long at all as you’re listening before you basically want to wrap yourself in a blanket made of this song.  YES I’m a fan, and YES I’d tell you to take ANY critic’s enthusiasm with a grain of salt – but I’ve been upfront about my love for all-things-Sienná, and if you read the many reviews I’ve written on her music throughout the years, you’ll find I’ve never stopped being objective about what I like, and what I love in her catalog.  “Be A Seeker, Believer,” is nothing short of magnificent…whether it’s the jazzy groove it settles into, the attention to detail in the sound itself, her remarkably textured vocals, the sparkling production, or the uniqueness of the ideas that drive this first song…I think you can’t help but marvel at it from any angle you’d choose.  I don’t think I’m breaking news when I say she could easily be compared to something like Massive Attack, specifically on records like 100^th Window, or their lesser-known EP called Splitting The Atom…maybe even Blue Lines…I mean…Sienná is keeping the most amazing company I can possibly think of in a comparison such as that.  “Be A Seeker, Believer” is truly spellbinding when you really dig into it though…the sound selection and the seamless way this song flows together in such a mesmerizing & enchanting way as organically as it does, is 100% award-worthy.

I LOVE hearing reasons to be EXCITED about what I’m listening to.  When I put on EMA earlier this month and I got to “Your Fact My Fact” on that initial spin…I mean…c’mon y’all…you FEEL this one!  I’m talkin’ about that danceable vibe…that bouncy low-end groove…the FUN in the Spoken Word samples – it’s just GOLD.  You know what the BEST thing is about writing about how amazing music can be in an example like this?  I can be FACT CHECKED.  YOU, at ANY TIME, can go and listen for yourself…and I absolutely encourage you to do exactly that.  If you’re not feeling the rhythm and fun of “Your Fact My Fact” within a mere ten seconds, feel free to send me a message and tell me I was crazy – I’ll be happy to respond and let you know just how wrong you are.  Sienná wastes absolutely no time whatsoever as she cranks up the dynamic intensity, which is perfect for those out there that love music that authentically gets you movin’ and groovin.’  What I LOVE even more about a track like this though, is that there’s as much to this as you want to dig for.  Like, if you want to simply listen on a surface level, have at’er – you’ll easily love it.  But if you want to really dig into it, production-wise, or like, examine it on a structural level…I mean…it’s staggeringly GOOOOOOOOOD.  You can’t help but admire how much care and precision would go into making something like this, yet by the same token, this isn’t what you would typically associate with something in the mainstream either.  Sienná retains her underground vibe in-full by making a cut like “Your Fact My Fact” and delivers the kind of innovative & inventive sound your ears should be craving.  Reminds me a little bit of TKO from back in the day here, but with more of an irresistible beat to go along with the artistic depth and dimension the sound possesses.  Regardless of how you’d describe it, I’m all for this kind of innovative creativity that has undeniably universal appeal.

So…a couple things can be true at the same time, lest we forget.  I’m gonna be honest with you and tell ya that when I heard “EMA” on that initial spin, my immediate thoughts were all surrounding how you better like yourself some variety if you’re going to be able to keep up with this record, because this is the third major shift in energy in a row.  Obviously when things increase in that department, it’s usually a fairly easily transition…people naturally go along when the energy shifts forward.  When things get scaled back, it can be a totally different ballgame.  So here I was, thinking that there might be some risk to having “EMA” appear right after “Your Fact My Fact” – and then I think it was something like an hour and a half later when I realized I was listening to “EMA” on repeat and never seemed to get bored or feel the need to move onto the next track.  No joke…this is my actual, lived experience in listening to “EMA.”  It’s just such a brilliantly curious and mysterious song…but like, stocked full of melody and intrigue, even in what’s clearly a more minimalist design.  “EMA” has everything it needs.  It pulls you in like a great story would, or how songs like “The Beach At Redpoint” by Boards Of Canada fill you with that sense of wonder, you know what I mean?  “EMA” is a page-turner in audible form…you just wanna know where it goes.  To a degree, I think it’s fair to say that it doesn’t actually travel too far once it kicks into gear, but by the same token, if you factor in what it sounds like at the very start in comparison to where it ends up, you’ll realize you’ve actually been on quite the journey.  Part of the reason that “EMA” works as well as it does is because you never feel like you’re standing still or that the track isn’t doing enough, even when it’s moving at a fairly slow pace throughout its length.  Sienná retains your attention again by generating a constant stream of genuine interest, in this song, and throughout this whole lineup on the album.

If you’ve been listening to her music as long as I have been, then you know she’s capable of creating quite a cerebral kind of cinematic sound, and you’ll hear that in action on “Aenaria.”  For as much as I’ve been enjoying listening to this record to this point, I felt like this fourth tune still somehow continued to exceed my hopes & expectations… Sienná isn’t just back, she’s literally sounding at the top of her game.  There’s such an extraordinary amount of intention in the music she makes, and when you listen to a track like this transition with such seamless fluidity, believe me, you’ll know what I mean in saying that.  Like, for example…right around the 2:50 mark…what Sienná does in how she switches the atmosphere of “Aenaria” is nothing short of incredible.  Vocally, it’s tremendously unique, and it’s another stellar example of how she’s able to use voices in her music as an additional instrument that add to the melody she’s working with.  “Aenaria,” which as far as I understand is an actual SUBMERGED city that she likely visited in her time at Ischia…I mean…c’mon…how cool is THAT to serve as the inspiration behind a song, right?  If you dig texture and tone, Sienná is flexing skills and a palette of sound that will have you pressing your whole face up against your speakers just to make sure you’re not missing out on a single moment of what she’s got to offer your ears.  “Aenaria” is beautiful, challenging, eye-opening, and a real breath of fresh air in the realm of art & music combined…if you’re listening closely, you’ve gotta admire how Sienná is able to slide between the abstract and universally appealing sound with such proficiency and purpose.  You can hear how inspired she is throughout the course of listening to “Aenaria” for sure.

If you look back at things I’ve mentioned over my time with Sienná’s music, you’ll find a whole bunch of remarks regarding how well she’s mastered the low-end in her tunes.  “369 (Miroku)” deserves a mention in that same regard…like…not only is it sonically intense and totally wild, but at the same time, it’s controlled in a way that most artists & bands would struggle to find the balance in.  For nearly five minutes, Sienná goes on to completely crush this cut with a fierce rumbling underneath the surface, while bringing an outstanding range of sounds to the surface overtop.  From outright dangerous guitar sounds, to the bendable way she adds her vocals into the song, to the atmospheric instrumentation and melodic moments she scatters over the steady rumble below, tracks like “369 (Miroku)” reveal her master’s grip on how contrast can be one of the most effective tools an artist can use in their music.  Everything is mixed and separated with such spectacular clarity, that it’s like you can literally listen to the many components that make up “369 (Miroku)” with ease, all at the same time, and still combine them as intended into one experience too.  I know, I know…not everyone is listening to music in the same nerdy way that I do, but believe me when I tell ya, what Sienná is doing production-wise, is by no means any kind of easy task.  You have to have an impeccable understanding of the relationship between clarity and the sounds you use in order to be able to come out with something as bold, colorful, and creative as this is.  It would be so damn easy to get things muddled in the mix if you weren’t careful and just threw the same ingredients you’ll hear on “369 (Miroku)” into the pot without thinking…but that right there is the whole ballgame folks – Sienná doesn’t just release music for the sake of it…when she puts something out, she can stand behind every single note and tone you hear.  And beat for that matter – the drums are a massive part of the reason as to why “369 (Miroku)” is as irresistible as it is.  There’s a real thrilling menace and mayhem in the mix here, yet at the same time, you can’t help but notice how Sienná is in complete control from the start to the finish.  Lyrically, you could make an argument that it’s tremendously optimistic, and/or just as threatening in a spiritual way too…I love the interpretive value in a song like this.  It could be beautiful, it could be dangerous…and it really depends on how you personally hear the words and sound, along with how you choose to internalize it.

As I listened to “Finding Inner Sanctuary,” no joke – I could feel a few tears welling up at the corners of my eyes.  Not because it’s like…necessarily that kind of an emotional type of tune, but more-so because I have been CRAVING real ingenuity, uniqueness, creativity, and innovation SO MUCH this year, and it just hasn’t been there, like…at all.  So to hear something as decidedly different as the music Sienná makes, and have it all sound so damn good…I mean…to me, that deserves some thanks and some real gratitude.  She might not know it, but right now, I feel like she’s playing a large role in not letting 2026 go down like the Hindenburg…so yeah man…I’m STOKED to hear this record all come out so well for her.  Not that I’d have doubted her for a second…I know better than that – she’s on our wall of fame for a reason y’all, and she’s never disappointed me whatsoever.  I’ve always loved that she’s so willing to try new things…she never just does what she did the last time out…she seems to continuously be in search of that next level, without any of that journey feeling forced.  When I listened to “Finding Inner Sanctuary” for the first time…honestly, I was blown away by this tune.  For as gentle as it is, it’s equally bold and pushes her own story forward…it’s got all that uniqueness I was so desperately hoping to find this year and then some…you really won’t hear many songs like “Finding Inner Sanctuary,” full stop.  And that my friends, is a BEAUTIFUL thing.  I mean, obviously I’d take MORE of something that sounds like this, but at the same time, having this sound belong exclusively to Sienná makes it that much more special too.  “Finding Inner Sanctuary” was like hearing a closed circuit maze of your own soul being mapped out in real time…it’s so delightfully different, yet so familiar at the same time.  This cut would remind me of Tortoise at times, which is another legendary name I felt proud that I was able to compare Sienná to.  She’s put in so much work into refining these songs, that I truly can’t say enough about it all.

What.  A.  Legend.  I’m gonna be real with you and tell ya that on my initial spin through EMA, I was pretty convinced that there would have to be some point along the way where things would have to slow the momentum of our enthusiasm, but I can vouch for the fact that it definitely ain’t going to be how you feel about “The Majestic.”  I literally got chills listening to this song.  That first dip into the true potency of low-end-driven melody around the forty-five second mark is SOMETHING TO BEHOLD y’all.  We’re talking about that same kind of feeling you’d get from listening to a track like “Auto Rock” by Mogwai…that kind of mix of ominous atmosphere and irresistible sound combined…it’s stunning, full stop.  The most you’ll find me conceding to you here is that Sienná seems to take this moment entirely in stride…it’s practically like she didn’t even acknowledge how powerful that spot is, and continues to go about her business in exploring the rest of the sound surrounding it.  It’s probably not until the fifth minute and towards the finale where you’ll circle back to that feeling…and by that point, hearing how everything else is combined with that low-end vibe…it’s jaw dropping.  Straight up, 100% jaw dropping.  The way Sienná has used piano in “The Majestic” is pretty much worth the price of admission alone.  It’s a very anti-typical inclusion in the sense that she’s kind of only playing a few notes here & there, and yet to hear the extraordinary contribution it makes…I mean…it’s EVERYTHING.  This whole album sounds so impressively focused…it’s not always what you hear, but how you hear it…and that’s all by design dear readers, dear friends.  Sienná weaves this tapestry of sound that morphs and shifts in a wonderfully kaleidoscopic way…honestly, I’m in awe.  For a guy that has always known how good she IS for the better part of a decade, I’m somewhat surprised that she can STILL surprise me with what she creates, and that it STILL sounds like she’s leveling up.  We can debate whether or not “The Majestic” might wander into the ether and spend more of its time there than the parts that hit you with the most impact I guess…but I’m of the mind that one half needs the other.  It’s what makes that final ninety seconds become such a significant highlight, not just for “The Majestic,” but in any song you’ll find on the record.

Sienná’s lyricism has been exceptional on the main songs that incorporate it, like “Be A Seeker, Believer,” “Aenaria,” and “369 (Miroku)” as well.  She writes from a thoughtfully poetic angle, and a lot of what she’s had to say throughout EMA has been like hearing her have a direct conversation with the universe surrounding her.  Spiritual, you know what I mean?  Philosophical.  Even when she chooses to use Spoken Word samples instead, like she adds into “A Messenger,” Sienná is still fully capable of creating highly interesting, engaging, well-crafted narratives that communicate her ideas and themes.  “A Messenger” appears lighthearted, upbeat, and fun…that’s how you’d hear it undoubtedly if you were to just judge it by the music alone.  Right from the get-go as the words come at us though, you’ll hear that a track like “A Messenger” runs a whole lot deeper than that, providing your ears with an excellent dose of contrast as the debate around what God is and where you can find God plays out in the robotic-type voice.  It could be the English accent…they can typically come across as colder than most…you can feel that distance playing a role in what’s being said though…almost as if it’s all a more objective observation than direct feelings and emotions you’re hearing.  Which is kinda cool too when you think about it…most songs aren’t really created in that direction…we typically respond to emotion and passion and it seems as if Sienná deliberately chose to include a voice that examined the situation more critically and clinically.  To me, it worked…not only does it sound great, but it fits thematically, and you’ll find that she’s included tons of stuff for you to consider.  I mean, the very first lines alone should pique your curiosity instantaneously – “We’re all our own prisons.  Each our own wardens.”  I love thinking about this kind of philosophical stuff…and as far as I can tell, much of what’s being said on this song, is the truth.  “Everything that’s alive is God.”  I could quote from this cut all day long…it’s wildly cerebral.

It’s a good thing that Sienná doesn’t NEED any notes from me on what she could do better, because I really don’t feel like I have any this time around in listening to her seventh record, EMA.  As all you regular readers know, if I had something to say, I’d say it…but the facts are the facts and you can hear’em as plain as day throughout this lineup – Sienná is at her absolute focused and inspired best.  Right through to the end, on “From Here To Where You Are,” she continues to dazzle with enchanting sound, surgical precision, and cutting-edge production that is an audiophile’s dream to listen to.  As she lightens-up the atmosphere to finish things off on “From Here To Where You Are,” every time I get to this point in the record, I’ve checked the clock to see if I have time to listen to it all over again.  Like a genuinely complete experience, it’d almost feel like cheating to seek out one track any more than the others surrounding…EMA is the kind of album you really want to play from beginning to end, and then repeat it.  From Sienná’s vividly poetic imagery in her words, to the radiant soundscapes and beats she’s created along the way, I swear it felt like she’s elevated the evolution of her craft every which way you turn your head to listen to what she’s come up with here.  “From Here To Where You Are” felt like the right way to end things…it’s soothing, but it’s still equally bold in its sound selection.  The confidence she has displayed in every one of these nine songs is right there in the DNA of how she’s performed them – you can hear that each move she’s made along the way was backed firmly by knowing it was the right one to make.  It’s the kind of confidence you earn as an artist when you know you truly believe in the material that you’re creating, and as a result, on the listening side of the speakers, we’re privileged to hear it, unmistakable for anything else.  I needed EMA even more than I thought that I did I tell ya…but once I put it on for the very first time, I knew right away that Sienná was the piece of the puzzle that 2026 seemed like it had been missing.  I feel a lot more complete on a personal level after having listened to this album…it’s like Sienná has restored the balance to the universe we share, while simultaneously pushing the boundaries of music and art even further forward into the future, proud to lead the way.

Find out more about Sienná from her official website at:  https://www.sienna-web.com

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