Sunshine Subconscious is the progressive neo-soul child of drummer and bandleader Tommy Whiteside the IV. Taking the grit from Daptone records and the musical dexterity of Roy Ayers, I’d be surprised if everybody didn’t love this sunshine. On Rewrite the Pages, Tommy describes an existential journey through “pain and pleasure,” disarming himself to natures duality while still questioning and expressing disbelief in the laws we have been told to believe. The result is a song that lays in-between the coolness of jazz subtlety and the hostility of spiritual anarchy.
To realize his vision of utopia, Tommy has amassed an impressive cast of Cornish cats to lend their services; Bret Gardin (of Newaxeyes) makes waves as lead vocalizer, while Phinehas Nyang’Oro searches for the lost guitar chord, and Jackie Sandberg drives the songs down the dirtiest Rhodes you’ve ever been on. Together, with Tommy on the skins, the make up is a unique blend of psychedelic aesthetics and honed jazz chops. So if you ever wanted a crispier, dirtier Steely Dan or a less cynical Eugene McDaniels, then sit back and let your Sunshine Subconscious take control.
Sunshine Subconscious plays at the Triple Door Musicquarium on Tuesday, February, 10th, at 8PM