Alessandra Illuminati, a Rome-based singer and songwriter, has shaped her debut album “Sedna” around an ancient legend from Inuit mythology. “Sedna” is a cohesive collection of songs where the central figures are Inuit deities and creatures—such as birds, fish, and marine mammals—interwoven with textured acoustic guitars, downsampled glitchy soundscapes, and her own pristine, direct vocals.

Sedna, a marine goddess, nourishes the Inuit people while also punishing them whenever they overfish the sea. This ambiguity is brought to life through a deeply personal palette of sounds that Alessandra has crafted alongside producer giangly and bassist Giorgio Figà Talamanca.

Drifting atop a variety of open guitar tunings, Alessandra’s melodies evoke both unease and dreaminess in equal measure. The title track is a reinterpretation of an Inuit lullaby. With Sedna as the narrator, each song becomes a chapter, symbol, and milestone in Alessandra’s own experience. Each step outlines a profoundly personal narrative, framed by giangly’s post-production process, which layers harsh digital distortions, frantic percussive rhythms, and clattering soundscapes.

The tension between these elements is intensified by Alessandra’s balanced, spontaneous singing, which intentionally hides beneath layers of noise—at times a muffled whisper, at times a cryptic chant.