They have been descibed as new-rave, indie, disco but Sunshine Underground can't be put into one scene just like that, there are no limits in the band's music. From the pumping basslines of "The Way It Is" and "Panic Attack", to the enchanting melody and slightly haunting vocals of "Somebody's Always Getting In The Way", each song experiments with something new.
After hearing the track, "Put You In Your Place" I immediately took a liking to the band and I bought the album just after Christmas last year, hoping it would meet my expectations set by the mentioned track. I wasn't dissapointed. The steady but strong bassline and drumbeat starting off the album with "Wake Up", sets the mood of the album perfectly and immediately you know your money hasn't been wasted.
As I have said it is a difficult task to try to give the band a particular scene, and they don't really sound much like any other bands currently around, however in places
the album does sound similar to "The Rapture" and possibly "Klaxons", and some of their very strong choruses deliver a wave of sound with power similar to "Bloc Party" and "Muse". These are quite vague similarities as Sunshine Underground have created their very own scene, combining many different genres, giving a new distinct funky and up-beat sound unheard before.
Track Run-Through: "Wake Up" is a great strong start to the album, beginning steady. The track is constantly changing volume, however without a distinct chorus, the song doesn't take your average structure, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, it just gives you something different to listen to.
"Put You In Your Place" starts sounding a lot like "Whole Lotta Love-Led Zeppelin", with repeated vocals that quickly turns into a bassy song, with a hard simple beat. It is full of stops and starts, which I find to be a distinct style of the band, giving it a lot of depth, and generally is very enjoyable listening.
"Dead Scene" is full of different sounds, and has a disco type beat. Strong build-up to a good chorus.
"The Way It Is" starts with a simple palm-muted progression and is then joined by a funky beat and bass. When the melody comes in the song really starts to get going, creating a lot of depth. The drums are then left alone to lead into the vocals, which are particularly strong on this track, although a lot like marmite, you'll love 'em or hate 'em. The rest of the track continues similarly, again without a distinct chorus, the whole track kind of merges, with instrumental breaks between verses.
"Commercial Breakdown" has a simple yet strong chord progression repeated throughout the song, backed up by a similar bass-line. This song does have a kind of chorus, however it is more of a louder and stronger verse rather than a chorus. Also a strong outro.
"Somebody's Always Getting In The Way", haunting enchanting. Almost puts you under a spell and calms you down after the previous song's energy, leading you into a deep sleep. Generally a very pleasant song to listen to.
"Borders" is one of the best songs on the album, with a quiet intro on guitar, joined by vocals. The drum-beat and guitar two enter and the energy of the song starts. Later on the song becomes almost anthemic, with a thumping beat, and repeated vocals.
"Panic Attack" has a lot of depth with a great drum beat and throbbing bass-line, forcing your feet to tap along for the duration of the song, which has a constant steady pace.
"I Ain't Losing Any Sleep" starts at a slow pace and slowly picks up a bit more speed, giving a strong chorus, and a steady speed throughout.
"My Army" picks up the pace a bit more after the previous track. Not the best on the album but still pretty good.
"Raise The Alarm" is the last listed track on the album and is another with a great beat and bass-line. It ends with quite a full sound, picking up speed towards the very end, with a lot of experimental noises and a good ending.
But wait, there's a hidden track. The extra track on the end of "Raise The Alarm", starts with a beat similar to "Bloc Party's- Banquet" and continues with a strong bass and guitar. Strong vocals, just gives the album a more dramatic exit, a bit of an encore.
This is a great album with a new sound, and although the vocals don't appeal to some, I believe they really suit the music, and this shouldn't put you off the band.
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Jun 16th, 2007
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