Back in March 2025, we were adamant about Siren Section’s artistic potential. Writing about ‘Glass Cannon’, we proudly described the project as “crafting a compelling, intricate aural picture, one that’s packed with atmospheric synths, lush guitars and noisy drum machines.” At the time, we also teased an upcoming album, ‘Separation Team’, a record that, almost a year later, is now coming to fruition. In fact, it’s out today! James Cumberland and John Dowling showcase their love for post-punk exploration and leftfield trips via nineteen compelling pieces, all holding separate, unmistakable identities.
Taking a cue from the previously mentioned ‘Glass Cannon’, Siren Section are equally at home in melancholic, gloomy synth-pop cuts, as they are in dream pop and new wave territories (see ‘Solidarity’ or ‘Marker’). Elsewhere, we observe the Los Angeles-based duo sharpen their electronic flair on ‘Flinch’, part dance and part industrial, and the brainiac effort ‘Bullet Train’. ‘They Will Never Find Us’ is the album’s most ambient-leaning offering, well complementing the post-punk and shoegaze charge that permeates the rest of the record.
However you look at it, there’s no doubt that ‘Separation Team’ is a highly eclectic body of work. Granted, Siren Sections start from precise influences, emboldened by a long journey in art-making and a distinct personal history. Yet, the end result is much wider and encompassing than one might think. It’s the long tracklist that helps magnify it.
Recommended! Discover ‘Separation Team’ now: