A Niche Jam Session is a way to give artists a chance at fighting the algorithm. Here, I review local albums in the Tallahassee area, fresh new artists’ debuts, or albums on Spotify that deserve a higher monthly listener count. Take a seat in this corner of the internet and jam out with me while you read!
In my forever-long quest to discover the newest music I possibly can, I stumbled upon the self-titled debut of the duo Camareina.
Hailing from Pittsburgh, the duo was formed after Dom Atkinson, producer and mixing engineer, overheard a conversation that Shayna Augusma, vocalist, vocal composer, and lyricist, was having with a past music partner at a local bar. A few weeks later, the two met to collaborate and clicked immediately, writing their first two songs within hours.
Camareina was released on Dec. 31, 2025, with seven songs spanning 16 minutes. On first listen, the album is groovy, danceable, and extraordinarily well-written. Augusma’s lyrics focus on intimacy, frustration in relationships, and the search for closure.
The duo references Daniel Caesar, SZA, The Marías, Steve Lacy, Frank Ocean, and Faye Webster as their main inspirations, so if you’re ready for a phenomenal time, put on your headphones, open your music app of choice, and jam out with me!
Track 1: “can U feel it?”
The opener, “can U feel it?” is a fantastic start to such a remarkable album. It eases you into the album so well, with Augusma’s beautifully soft, flowing vocals putting me in a trance.
The first lyrics themselves are an invitation: “Come close enough for me to bite, let go of who we are.” Seemingly the start of something new, “can U feel it?” sets us up perfectly for the later themes found in this album.
Track 2: “Weakness”
“Weakness” has some of my favorite lyrics of the album. With lines like “Keep away from my eyes, they’re playing tricks” and “Stay away from my skin, it likes your touch,” Augusma captures this feeling of being hesitant towards someone else, despite wanting them so severely — a “weakness,” if you will.
The second half of the song focuses on the “weaknesses” of the other person, the speaker begging them to “Tell me all of your secrets, tell me all of the things you can’t share.”
The instrumental itself depicts this push-and-pull kind of feeling well, reminding me of the internet phenomenon of a liminal space, a threshold, or in between space. The concept is often connected to nostalgia, as well, and I get that a lot from this track.
Track 3: “Don’t Make Me”
“Don’t Make Me” explores the frustration and anxiety of someone not receiving the attention they need from a relationship. The speaker is reaching out, without trying to push too far, sung with the lyrics of “Please don’t make me lose my mind / I don’t want to ruin your night, I just want your time.”
This song reminds me of Steve Lacy’s, one of Camareina’s inspirations, revived hit a few years back, “Dark Red.” Both songs feel a bit melancholy and anxiety-ridden, but you can’t help but dance at least a little bit.
Track 4: “Turn It On”
“Turn It On” starts with a silly “spoken word intro,” a term for something we’ve all heard in music, that banter before a track starts. “Promiscuous” by Nelly Furtado’s “Am I throwin’ you off?” is a famous one.
The song is head-bopping gold, with assistance from instruments like the steel pan. Despite this seemingly happy break, the lyrics keep up the intimate, melancholic vibe we’ve been hearing from the album so far.
This is especially evident in the lyrics “One, two, three shots and now you’re out of my mind” and “Don’t want me calling you mine,” obviously letting us know something is going terribly wrong in this relationship.
Track 5: “Cry”
“Cry” gives us a crazy different vibe from the rest of the album. Here, Atkinson comes in for a greater vocal performance, although we’ve been hearing bits and pieces from him in earlier tracks. This track sounds a lot more like an indie band than the R&B feel that Camareina has been giving us from the rest of the album.
I’m a Midwest emo junkie, so I’m definitely biased in this comparison, but I get that vibe severely here. “Cry” reminds me of the work of another semi-underground artist I listen to, It Looks Sad.
Track 6: “Joyride (Interlude)”
“Joyride (Interlude)” feels like stepping out of the party to take an angry break in the back, especially with the spoken word intro as just “Shut the f*ck up.” Other lyrics give that vibe of being so completely over someone: “After tonight, I don’t know if I can ride with you,” and “It’s been a long time coming, you best start running.”
Possibly the grooviest track on the album, “Joyride (Interlude)” captures the feeling of driving in a car on empty back roads, windows down, and jamming to your favorite songs well.
I especially love the baseline on this song. If you ever catch me listening to this song on my playlist, and you will, you’ll always see my head bobbing.
Track 7: “What You’re Looking For”
A wonderful closure to this fantastic album, “What You’re Looking For” is a send-off to both the album and someone in particular, with lyrics like “I hope you get what you’re looking for / I hope you found whatever it is you couldn’t get from me.”
The synths that play within the verses remind me so much of older ’80s pop, giving me that nostalgic vibe that makes me yearn to replay the album again and again, and I did just that.
Camareina’s self-titled was shockingly impressive for a duo’s first release, and I’m so honored to share it with you. Their music has found its way right into my playlists, especially “Joyride (Interlude)” and “Cry,” and I sincerely think that you’ll feel the same.
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