Seaside — Same Old / Same New
Released from Jakarta, Indonesia
Shoegaze / Dreampop / Indie Pop
More than a decade into their journey through Jakarta’s independent music scene, Seaside return with Same Old / Same New — a 15-track reflection of growth, change, and everything that lingers in between. It’s a record steeped in their signature atmospheric sound, where layers of shimmering guitar and soft, aching melodies blur the line between dream and reality.
Since their debut Undone in 2013, Seaside have carved out a distinct space in Indonesia’s shoegaze and dreampop landscape — music that captures fragility without losing its strength. Same Old / Same New holds onto that identity but dares to bring in more light: warmer tones, brighter passages, and moments where hope feels just within reach.
This isn’t a concept album — it’s a tapestry of songs woven together over years, some born from the slow churn of change, others from the shifting lineup of the band. The emotional arc moves through doubt, denial, panic, and longing, before arriving at a quiet acceptance. From the instrumental opener Traveling to South, which drifts in like coastal fog, to the final bittersweet sigh of Star-crossed Lovers, the journey is both intimate and expansive.
Musically, the album balances tension and release with more precision than ever. Tempos rise and fall like tides, guitars shimmer and dissolve, and the vocals — now brought closer to the listener — carry a newfound confidence. Even in its darker moments, there’s a soft glow beneath the haze, a reminder that shadows exist only because of light.
In a scene often dominated by folk-pop and introspective alt-rock, Seaside stand apart — drawing from the roots of classic shoegaze and dreampop while speaking with a voice that is unmistakably their own. Same Old / Same New feels like both a return and a renewal, a sound that’s familiar yet quietly transformed.
© Thusblog
