Paris-based duo Cyanine step onto the scene with their first single “When You Come Back Home”, accompanied by a monochrome music video that leans into the aesthetics of French New Wave cinema. With over 14K YouTube views in its first week, the track has gained a promising traction for a debut from an unknown act—suggesting that its emotional core is connecting with listeners.
Blending elements of alternative rock, blues, and hip-hop, the song feels like a slow burn: sparse, introspective, and unpolished in a way that seems intentional. The band’s sound brings to mind the lo-fi narrative hip-hop of Speech Debelle, the downtempo swagger of Fun Lovin’ Criminals, or the laid-back grooves of G. Love & Special Sauce—though Cyanine approaches their influences with a more melancholic palette on this song.
Visually, the video is striking in its restraint. Shot in black-and-white on anamorphic lenses, it borrows heavily from the language of 60s French cinema—grain and handheld framing—creating a mood that complements the song. The video was shot in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, moving through Place de Clichy, a local café, and the surrounding streets and apartment interiors. There’s a gritty, everyday urban texture to the setting—a lived-in realism that contrasts with the emotional intimacy of the breakup story.
Cyanine is made up of two cousins, Math Sal (vocals) and Johnny Jo (instruments), whose backgrounds—as a music video director and a biology researcher—add an offbeat layer to their creative partnership. The project began informally, after a family jam session, and has since grown into something more focused. With contributions from Madtricks, Mathias Dupuy, and Anthony Hinds (remastering), the track takes shape as a lo-fi but emotionally earnest piece of storytelling.
The song has already been added to 12 Spotify playlists, helping to build a tangible momentum. It’s a promising start, though not without its rough edges—both sonically and visually. There’s no slick overproduction here, no genre-hopping for the algorithm—just two artists figuring out how to say something true.
The rest of the album moves between genres with a certain looseness, avoiding strict categorization. “Behind Bars” leans toward progressive rock, while “Never B” draws on blues rock foundations. “What Is She Doin?’” brings a dose of rough-edged, energetic funk, and “Thai & I” explores a more spacious, rhythmic mood, blending dub and hip-hop textures. “Grandma” offers a more unexpected turn—a vibrant, hip-hop soul homage to the cousins’ grandmother. Emotional and dynamic, the track stands out as one of the most personal moments on the record.
As a whole, Cyanine’s debut feels unpolished by design—honest, self-produced, and unconcerned with convention.
The “When You Come Back Home” video allows the listener space to interpret. That’s a bold move for a debut—and one that might just earn Cyanine a place in the broader conversation around indie genre-blending.
For more information, visit Cyanine’s official website and follow them via their smartlink SubmitHub.
