Sonny and the Sunsets Blend Pop With Psych On ‘Moods Baby Moods’ (ALBUM REVIEW)

[rating=8.00]

sonny-and-the-sunsets-640x640-640x640We hold artists like Sonny Smith near and dear because they never cease to surprise us, entertain us, intrigue us and leave us wanting more. Smith continues to make sweet, strange music with Sonny and the Sunsets on the newly released Moods Baby Moods, a cheeky and fantastic follow-up to last year’s weirdly wonderful Talent Night at the Ashram. Smith is an artist who never seems to have a shortage of ideas or creativity, and though his sound is unmistakable, each of his works brings something new to the table.

Moods Baby Moods sticks to the Sunsets’ classic vintage sound, but with a DIY electronica shift (perhaps thanks to tUnE-yArDs producer Merrill Garbus). With this humorous, futuristic bent, Smith shares his perspective on technology and life in the digital age. And as per usual, it’s difficult to discern where he’s poking fun and where he’s being totally serious (is he ever?). “I found a piece of art in the trash/I don’t know anything about art/A shattered mirror with a broken frame/Autographed by the modern age,” he sings on “Modern Age”, repeating the song’s title over and over until he reaches the conclusion: “Modern age/Nothing to say.” Eventually, his chorus fades into a robotic auto-tune. Whether he means to tread such existential territory or not, Smith poignantly takes on the emptiness of today’s social and cultural climate when he trails off with an introspective stream of consciousness at the end.

And fans that are familiar won’t be disappointed with Smith’s expectedly odd song titles. Tunes like “Well But Strangely Hung Man” and “Death Cream, Part 2 (Watch Out for the Cream)” are appropriately bizarre and twisted. Smith’s dark sense of humor is what lures many in and keeps them coming back again and again. “The Hospital Grounds at Night” is a groovy, techno burst of laser beams and trippy visuals, while “Dead Meat on the Beach” is delightfully sinister garage rock.

There’s an eighties brit-rock (a la The Cure) influence on many of the instrumental arrangements, particularly the guitars. They echo amidst synth and drum machine sounds to create an otherworldly, alien vibe that somehow sounds like the future even when it’s mimicking the past.

“Reject of the Lowest Planet” give us Smith’s take on love in the digital age. “Reject of the lowest kind/Reject won’t you please be mine,” Smith harmonizes against a twisting and turning guitar melody that’s psychedelic and mod. A similar aesthetic unwinds on “White Cops on Trial” with a cacophonous take on current events. Both songs are reminders that though Smith doesn’t disguise his oddball personality in his songwriting, he’s got plenty to say about the state of the world.

[youtube id=”Z8xjRbVq9VQ” width=”630″ height=”350″]

Related Content

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

New to Glide

Keep up-to-date with Glide

Twitter