ALBUM TITLE: This Was Tomorrow ARTIST: Seth Sentry VINYL STATUS: New Revisiting a debut album can go one of two ways; either it's a stark reminder of how much (or little) an artist has changed, or it stands the test of time as a justification for their present-day fame. With Seth Sentry’s debut album 'This Was Tomorrow', it’s a healthy mixture of the two.
But 'This Was Tomorrow' wasn’t our first glimpse of Sentry (aka Seth Marton); prior to this release he was already a Triple J darling having been plucked from the Triple J Unearthed vaults, before going on to claim Number 31 in the J’s 2009 Hottest 100 countdown for 'The Waitress Song' – all before any sign of a full-length album.
Fast-forward to 2012: Seth Sentry hype was at an all-time high, as was the possibility of falling short of expectations. But instead Sentry unleashed a creative and thought-provoking album that somehow manages to both lament and poke fun at the human existence.
With near surgical precision, Sentry flows across topics from the mundane ('Room For Rent') to the existential ('Ink Blot Test'), frequently with an invisible wink and a smile – and a hefty swag of pop-culture references ('Dear Science' being the prime example – PS seriously where’s my hoverboard??).
For a maiden debut (released on Sentry’s own label High Score Records) this album is frighteningly mature, balancing energetic samples seamlessly behind relatable and humble lyrics. And despite the anxieties raised throughout, it’s also actually just a damn-listenable album with plenty of catchy hooks and cranking beats to make listening the whole way through worth your while.
Maybe it’s Australia’s love of the self-proclaiming underdog that endeared this album so swiftly to the fans – but also just maybe it’s proof that Sentry’s current success is not accidental at all.
(Sentry went on to release his second studio album 'Strange New Past' which scooped up the Best Urban Album ARIA Music Award in 2015)
LABEL: High Score Records GENRE(S): Hip Hop/Rap RELEASE DATE: September, 2012
BY TIANA SPETER