Samia - Bloodless 

A delayed shuffle kicks in after the first chorus of ‘Bovine Excision’, the opening track of Samia’s third album ‘Bloodless.’ A simultaneous guitar stab and drum hit highlights the drum’s previous absence, and - akin to the first verse of its opener - ‘Bloodless’ finds comfort in absence, whether it’s referencing cattle mutilation or Sid Vicious’ framed fist print in ‘Hole in a Frame’. Seemingly, Samia has never been one to shy away from a complex theme or a darkly- outlined metaphor: her 2023 breakout and award-winning record ‘Honey’ touched on themes of nihilism and murder. Sharp, vivid songwriting is central to Samia’s craft, and with ‘Bloodless’, her superpower lies in her curiosity for the unknown, and an ability to turn herself inside out, facing the raw, uncomfortable, and deeply human parts of herself head on. 

On ‘Lizard’, she compares the likes of men and God and how both are bolstered by uncritical acceptance, noting “peace is a double-locked door, I’m the whore with the extra key”. Then, turning love into indifference like the flip of a switch, ‘Sacred’ concisely describes the emotional whiplash of a breakup (“you never loved me like you hate me now”). In terms of production, the  album mostly takes a no-frills approach, often just vocal and acoustic guitar lending itself to the album’s overall message; if you give less of yourself, you’ll appear bigger. Consequently, Samia’s words have never been so profound.