Alright here's my review of
Sun Structures.
In my reviews I'm going to be a bit different from most music reviewers: I will focus almost exclusively on the music itself, almost totally ignoring the lyrics -- unless, for some reason, they jump out at me on a particular song. Lyrics are rarely important to me (half the time I can't even make out the words anyway, especially for a genre like psychedelia), so I'm not going to spend time trying to figure out what the song is saying.
I will also not write a review unless I've listened to an album at least 3 times.
Every album will start out with an overall impression. Then, each song will get a quick review/impression, and a rating on a 1-to-10 scale in red. At the end of the review, the album itself will get a 1-to-10 rating, plus an observation about what the album does to the World Psychedelic Music-O-Meter.
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Grooveshark link to the album is
here.
So here we have yet another retro-60's sounding psychedelic band advertised by some writers as sounding like the Beatles. Except that they don't sound like the Beatles at all - though the Zombies might be a better fit. Or sometimes the Byrds. Or, especially, the Yardbirds on
For Your Love (without the harpsichord). But probably all of the above mixed together into one sound. Somewhat dreamy melodies meander over a fairly narrow vocal range which are backed by, typically, medium-tempo pop/rock arrangements. There is a certain sameness about many (most?) of the songs, but with enough variation so as to leave the listener feeling that only maybe 3 or 4 of the 12 songs sound a lot like other songs on the album. Of the 12 tracks, I find there are no I would call "great" or "outstanding," but there are 2 very good ones nestled next to each other in the middle of the album, one at the end of the album is different enough from the others to merit special mention, and all the other songs are "OK," or "good." There weren't any songs I found I wanted to skip.
The songwriting features some recurring melodic patterns the listener will pick up on quickly. The melodies are decent, but not what I would call "extremely catchy." Most, but not all, songs seem to have long-ish instrumental endings. The album is definitely a lo-fi recording (it was recorded in one of the band member's houses), but I find that to be a strength, not a weakness, as it adds to the retro appeal. There are no epic-length, 10-minute songs - this is definitely psych-pop, not High Art, though they arguably are more "rock" than, say, Tame Impala. But not by much.
Shelter Song: Probably the most retro-sounding song on the album. Sounds like early Byrds, Zombies, etc. circa 1965, down to the tone of the guitar riff. Almost like a pre-psychedelic piece. Main hook is a shout-and-echo routine with a dreamier-sounding refrain. Good opening song, upbeat tempo, really sets the tone for the album.
6
Sun Structures: This is a faster-paced, somewhat tense/nervous song, with a quick fuzz guitar riff interrupting quick-but-dreamy melody lines. Imagine
For Your Love quick-processed by a computer with heavy reverb, fuzz guitar and a dreamier melody. The 2nd half of the song is largely instrumental.
5
The Golden Throne: This is a poppier tune with a somewhat slower pace and a somewhat more restrained arrangement. A fairly light melody line is occasionally interrupted with rather harsh, "monster-esque" guitar riff. Last lines of each verse just before refrain are very effective as a short harmonic section kicks in. Here is where I sense better songwriting to come. Song ends with a long, quiet organ line.
6.5
Keep in the Light: This could almost pass for a somewhat subdued/darker Monkees song. I'm almost imagining Davey Jones singing a bouncier tune in higher registers to the same arrangement, with the other Monkees kicking in during the refrain. Or maybe a subdued version of
Love is Only Sleeping.
6
Mesmerise: The most interesting song yet. Almost more 80’s than 60’s. The slightest hint of Squeeze shows up here. Imagine "Pulling Mussels From the Shell" with a dreamier melody. And I've probably already over-used the word "dreamy" but it's the only good word for the sounds I'm hearing.
7
Move with the Season: Here we have the best song. Almost a Led Zeppelin, Kashmir-esque deliberate pace with heavy beats but an airy and dreamy melody (there's that word again!). Almost could be a big hit, but not quite. Melody and feeling very good, almost Tame Impala quality here. I'm getting the impression I could get more into this song with more listens.
8
Colours To Life: This sounds more like filler, similar to the other songs without standing out. Decent but not great melody.
6
A Question Isn’t Answered: Hard-driving, standard rock ¾ beat. Another decent but not great melody. I could swear I've heard at least 7 songs similar to this before. Maybe as many as 39. Still, it's listento-able.
7
The Guesser: Another faint hint of Squeeze here. Sort-of. I think if I listened to this album some more I'd find more (deliberate or not) Squeeze hints. But, this being (British) pop, the band is obviously borrowing from a tradition, of which Squeeze happens to be a prominent member.
6.5
Test of Time: Better melody than some other songs on the album, but still not a standout. Not filler, but not a main song either. Formula starts to get a bit tired here, even though the song is decent. Nice refrain.
7
Sand Dance: Big break in feeling here, acoustic opening, but quickly breaks into the same feeling/sound as the other songs. Seems like a missed opportunity ...
7
Fragment’s Light: ... Was the opening of the previous song a teaser for this one? Nice acoustic tune, nice melody to close out the album. Biggest problem with the song is it's too short!
8
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Final thoughts: This is good for a first album, though reading the band's bio on Wikipedia the two main band members had been members of previous bands, so they're not really newbies. This definitely isn't hard-core psychedelia, and I definitely wouldn't call them prog either, but I think they definitely fit into the "psychedelia light" category. I'll rate the album a
7.5.
"Move With the Seasons" is good-enough to merit its own Youtube link.