Captivating the Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House this past Thursday, the Seratones performed their sophomore studio album Power (2019) with a transitional demonstration of gritty punk sonics laced with soulful rhythm and blues. The five-piece band hails from the jazz-induced, blues-swinging, and soul-stirring musical hub of Louisiana and has been riveting venues, large and small, since 2013.
With tracks ranging between fiercely sung lyrics and somber reflections complimented by slow compositions, the Seratones revitalized a new wave of vintage soul with experimental twists and modern synthesizing arrangements with their new album. Aj Haynes, the band’s frontwoman, dove deeper into a vulnerable, self-introspective journey to redefine the album’s lyricism.
The band used a fine-picked combination of 80’s synth, contemporary alt-punk, and organic instrumentation that defines the jazz era of the motown genre. Seemingly contradictory genres, Seratones successfully interwove these genrefying elements Thursday night to create a sound that can best be defined as “dance floor ecstasy”. Haynes’ physical performance, coupled with her tremendous vocals, brought the crowd closer and closer to the stage, in which she saw it fit to step off the platform and into the crowd, indicating the universality and connectedness of music.
The line up consisted of Haynes on vocals and guitar, Travis Stewart on guitar, Adam Davis on the bass, Tyran Coker on the keyboards, and Jesse Gabriel on the drums.
Hayne’s sugary and deeply sensual vocals entrapped the intimately-sized venue of Capital Ale House in a rhythmic, American soul-rocking journey. The band’s notably high energy and self-assured performance permeated a palpable energy within the crowd brining everyone to a rhythmic daze.
Words by Anna Menendez
