Pop/Punk/Metal hybrid IKINÄ has been stirring the pot lately with their unique, refreshing sound. The Finnish five-piece from Kouvola have recently released a rebellious record with a title that is quite the mouthful: “Milleniaalin itsehoito-opas epävarmaan aikusuuteen” (Loosely translated: “Millenial’s Self-Care Guide for Insecure Adulthood”). They caught my attention with the energetic, blazy music video for “En tullu pysähtyy” (“I Won’t Stop“). Even though, and it pains me to admit this, I hardly understand a word of Finnish, their contagious vibe and innovative style convinced me to give the latest album a try.
The band has matured since their debut “Samoista soluista” (Translation: “From The Same Cells”), and goes on to explore their identity to further introspective depths. They have carefully put together this album out of the many tracks they have produced recently, and it works really well as a whole. As the title says, the lyrics shed light on the anxiety, social ills, love and relationships of a young adult, who endures all this without missing leg day at the gym. With this record, IKINÄ have written their own self-help guide, if you will, and appeal to all of us who are still struggling to come to terms with “adulting”. For someone like me, who has always been thoroughly suspicious of the self-help culture, this comes off as an honest account of actual relatable experiences, and that says a lot.
To cut right to the chase, the band’s number one strength is the similar but complementary voices of Katariina Sorsa and Tuuli Paju. There are those who will ask themselves what the added value is of two such similar vocal styles, but this is exactly what makes me dig the harmonies Katariina and Tuuli pull off. I suppose, like everything, this is a matter of taste rather than anything else. As for taste goes, because of the daring mix of popular styles, there is a song for everyone on this album. A track like “Ei oo helppoo” (”It’s Not Easy”), for example, could easily be on today’s mainstream radio hit lists.
They have definitely raised the bar with this second album, moving on to a more experimental direction. The hybrid experiment can sometimes feel forced, which ruins the whole drive behind it, but IKINÄ seems to have figured out how to blend styles as it comes naturally for them. In that way, the Djent-inspired love ballad “Paljaana” (“Uncovered”) is an interesting closer for the album. I love how, even if you don’t understand Finnish, you can feel how emotional and moving this song is, in the way the music is composed. The music video, that I invite you to watch below, is shot on Hietaniemi beach in Helsinki. If you are into the infectious IKINÄ, read our interview with the ferocious band here.
TRACKLIST
1. Senkin milleniaali
2. En tullu pysähtyy
3. Viinalaulu
4. Lässya tarinaa
5. Tulisilla hiilillä
6. Maailmannapa
7. Ei oo helppoo
8. Ttu mun elämä on jees
9. Koneiston rataissa
10. Paljaana
LINEUP
Lauri Hämäläinen – Vocals, Bass
Samuli Suokas – Guitar
Tuuli Paju – Vocals
Katariina Sorsa – Vocals
Santeri Paju – Drums
RECORD LABEL
Sakara Records
LINKS
https://www.facebook.com/Ikinaface/
https://www.instagram.com/ikinagram/
https://twitter.com/ikinatweets
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