James Arden checks out the garage rockers latest album.
The Christian rock band from Brighton bring religion to the masses.
Recipe for modern R'n'B album: liberal helpings of guest rappers and an overdose of sexual euphemisms.
Sleepy Sun have created something truly remarkable. In what they describe as “sonic science and dead-on pop surgery”, the Californian band’s debut album, Fever, combines earthy harmonies with garage guitars, crafting beautiful contrasts in a fresh and electrifying record.
It begins with 'Marina'. Opening with heavy guitars, the Fleet Foxes-reminiscent harmonies and laid back beats come as an astonishing surprise. The charm of the lyrics (“wake me on the softer side of heaven...”) is perfectly balanced by the staggering backing building to a stunning climax. Track two, 'Rigamaroo', provides a subtler, more acoustic earthy sound to set a contrast to track three, 'Wild Machines'. This again displays the heavy guitars/charming harmonies that define this record, even if this particular song is a little drawn out. 'Ooh Boy' brings the band back to basics, with an enchanting short acoustic song about being a long way from home. 'Acid Love' offers a change of pace, with a long drone and those signature harmonies. 'Desert God' starts slow but builds to a powerful, breathtaking finish. The album ends with 'Sandstorm Woman', an awe-inspiring epic of a song that once again balances the heavy guitars with the delightful blues vocals of Bret Constantino and Rachel Williams.
I love this band. Fiery and passionate, focussed and exhilarating, listen to them with your speakers up as loud as they’ll go – I don’t care if your flatmates are writing essays, nursing hangovers, or if it’s six o’clock in the morning. This is an album of incredible scope, and these guys deserve to be heard in all their brilliance.
Like it? Try Fleet Foxes or First Aid Kit.
Fever - Out now - ★★★★★
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