With greatness among my expectations, a step back to the debut record from Californian Psychedelic Rock outfit Sleepy Sun has felt like one too. Lurking in the shadows of Fever, this album was initially underwhelming in its similarities, the same sword swung with a duller blade. Many of the same key shifts, chord arrangements and harmonies occupy a well established aesthetic that runs parallel. Its jam sections, indulgences with noise and unwinding atmospheres pool from the same source yet despite wanting more of that Fever magic, it isn't quite here. I can't put my finger on the distance, is it familiarity? The folly of working in reverse? After a myriad of attempts with this record I make peace with my mediocre enjoyment of it.
The band have a beautiful aesthetic in some compositions, a soothing persuasion, soft and warm vocal phrases, gentle dusty guitars and a measured percussion that adds up to a subtle psychedelic intoxication. They also like to lean brazen on dirty distortion tones in the energetic swells of madness. It is that aspect that didn't pull off so well on this record. Its hypnotic tracks like Golden Artifact gleam in the light but the grit and gristle of mean fuzzy overdriven tones sound loose and unfocused on the other end of the spectrum with a song like Redblack.
The album doesn't get much of a flow going with the disharmony of their abrasive side interrupting the swells of mood and atmosphere some passageways cultivate. White Dove does a great job at defining an equilibrium as its opposites converge on a mighty grooving guitar riff but its lengthy nine minutes journey looses structure delving into a tangent that doesn't lead anywhere. Ive tried my best with this one and despite much similarity it feels like the musics core is missing something the next record will gain in abundance! For now I will move forward to their third.
Favorite Tracks: Lord, Golden Artifact
Rating: 6/10