I could write a few sentences comparing The Sun Lions‘ latest work to Dinosaur Jr., or some other mostly-well-known 90s "indie rock" band, but that’d be too easy. Whatever’s On Your Mind does scream 90s "indie rock", but there’s way more to it than just that. This record has lo-fi grit with hi-fi choruses–an impressive combo of hard-hitting rock n’ roll and pop sensibilities. These tracks are jammed with intricate guitar solos and super-tight band chemistry; the stops and starts these guys are capabale of executing are some real high-caliber stuff. My favorite track is "Sammy", with its slow, drunkenly-plodding guitars that take off into a punk-rockin’, arm-flailin’ riot. The song seems to end just as it began–powerfully trudging to the finish line, but with the addition of a gang-vocal chorus. Sammy’s definitely "got a-hold on me" with this one.
If listening to Whatever’s On Your Mind has you looking for more tunes from The Sun Lions, head over to Zuzu in Cambridge, MA tonight and catch their live set. More info about the show can be found here.
-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)
Photo credit: Jess Hodge