"Different Now": Meena’s first album brilliantly entwines piercing textures with dreamy glimmer.

Minimalism in art can serve as a powerful and expressive tool, albeit the opposite end of the spectrum is also equally alluring to explore: such a motive takes utmost precedence in the tracks listed under "Different Now," the flagship project revealed by the indie act Meena. Their amorphous but cohesive signature is moored by introspective performances embedded in incisive sound design. In a broad sequence of fourteen tracks, genre-blurring and avant-garde production amalgamate with ethereal vocal textures to hypnagogic proportions.

The British outfit, contrary to their under-the-radar presence, remains steadfast and ambitious in devoting time to their craft. In the five years since the introductory compilation "EP" was launched, Meena has far from stuck to a particular sound to define their sonic branding— instead they have opted for the bolder route of wandering freely among fringes of neighboring styles— displaying an eclectic motivation in efforts such as post-punk fueled murky experimentations (such as their top-listened track "Porch") and unrestrained indietronica (the likes of "Bad Trip" and "Paving").

The stakes are always high when engineering an album, and after two years of productive sabbatical, they have broken radio silence with a stronger impetus to venture into new soundscapes. Finetuned by producer Ben H Allen (Gnarls Barkley, Animal Collective) and final touches of mastering from Frank Arkwright at the prestigious Abbey Road studios, the higher audio fidelity magnifies the surplus creative details packed in the forty-some minutes of the album’s duration.

The world of "Different Now" starts unraveling with the welcoming snippet "Doreen": pulsating digital textures meld with granular, droning ambiance, skittering electro drums in the backbeat. In addendum, airy vocal harmonies materialize towards the end. Divergent and full-bodied dynamics are generated from brawny trip-hop percussions, grungy overdriven tones, and reverb-washed vocals present in hypnotic creations like "Wonder" and "Money." The production aesthetic here thoughtfully carves out a balance between the disparate elements, an outcome that is both spontaneous and thoroughly cohesive.

Dreamy pursuits such as the titular interlude "Different Now" put the listener amidst gnarly shoegaze guitars and sparse but gleaming vocal delivery, and out-of-the-box designs are prominent in rhythmic tracks like "Creation," pushing boundaries in a hefty alternative dance tune consisting of an interplay of lofty, dissonant industrial ambient textures and driven breakbeat.

The final ten minutes are fairly athletic in pacing. Tracks like "Even Say" supply a repetitive motorik cadence, four-by-four kicks, as jagged synths operate alongside the fuzzy singing— its successor "How Far" develops from the rolling groove and pared-back, ricocheting sonics into an avalanche of swift percussions and raucous guitars.

The unorthodox, constantly shifting attributes are what make "Different Now" stand out, and undeniably another superlative extension to Meena's underrated portfolio.

Listen to "Different Now" below, and follow Meena on their Instagram.