The project of Sydney-based multi-instrumentalist Simeon Bartholomew, SEIMS has long thrived on restless reinvention. Across four previous records, SEIMS have cultivated a reputation for pushing instrumental rock into adventurous, often unpredictable territory. Their 2020 release FOUR earned them a devoted underground following, leading to appearances at ArcTanGent in the UK, Dunk! Festival in Belgium, and tours alongside And So I Watch You From Afar, sleepmakeswaves, and Delta Sleep. With V, SEIMS expand their palette yet again, creating an album that veers between exhilaration and intimacy without ever losing focus.
The opener, “Double Standards” begins with glistening guitars and martial drumming, building layer upon layer before erupting into “Chaos Within a Construct.” Here, SEIMS channel a jagged post-rock energy, alternating between blast-beat fury and swaggering grooves. “Forever the Optimist” loosens the tension with a nimble bassline and swelling guitar-and-piano interplay, before Bartholomew himself breaks through with the mantra-like roar of the title.
Elsewhere, V drifts into unexpected spaces. “Flowing Upstream” recalls the elliptical moods of a Radiohead instrumental until it lurches into overdrive, driven by a wall of fuzz bass and synth-heavy leads. “Preoccupations” leans further into that electronic palette, darting between passages that feel equally meticulous and unhinged. Midway through, “Abandonment Is Expected” shifts the pace, beginning with fragile acoustic strums before collapsing into a tender recording of Bartholomew and his daughter discussing ice cream which is an adorable moment to include on an album.
“My Memories Retain Nothing” launches the record back into frenzied motion, evoking the manic energy of Cardiacs before dissolving into jazz-inflected improvisation. “Ends Tether” opens in hushed tones, strings setting a patient course that finally breaks into a sweeping crescendo. Closer “A Moment Never Returned” circles back to delicacy, its piano motif swelling alongside tuba to end the album on an experimental note.
V is not just ambitious in scope but also in execution. Bartholomew handles bass, guitar, synths, piano, and vocals, while surrounding himself with collaborators including Chris Allison (Plini) on drums, Sam Sheumack (Fangz) on slide guitar, Mark Owen (We Lost The Sea) on guitar, and a small orchestra of strings and brass. Engineered by Tim Carr (We Lost The Sea), mixed by Alex Wilson (sleepmakeswaves), and mastered by Jeff Lipton and Maria Rice at Peerless Mastering in Boston, the album carries the precision of a project built with care at every stage.
If FOUR was a bold statement of intent, V feels like the culmination of SEIMS’ journey so far, a record that refuses to sit still, moving with confidence between intricacy and chaos, tenderness and ferocity. It is music that thrives on contrasts, and in its unpredictability lies its most rewarding strength.