The Los Angeles-based folk-punk artist/activist Sunny War’s seventh studio effort, Armageddon In A Summer Dress, continues her sonic evolution following 2023’s breakthrough Anarchist Gospel.
Coming off touring for that record, Sunny moved into her late father’s house in Chattanooga and began conversing with ghosts, writing the album about their presence. It turns out that major gas leaks in the old house led to these hallucinations (which ceased when the gas leaks were fixed), but that eerie sense of otherworldliness still floats throughout Armageddon In A Summer Dress.
It is a hard-to-classify effort that shifts genres and influences often as War moves through different motifs. One of her primary focuses for this record was expanding her sound beyond her acoustic playing with a trio, writing for a larger, five-piece core band. That includes Sunny War: Guitar, Banjo, and Lead Vocals; Megan Coleman: Drums, Percussion; Jack Lawrence: Bass; Jo Schornikow: Keyboards, Vibraphone, Xylophone; John James Tourville: Pedal Steel, Guitars, Additional Percussion, who all worked with producer Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Hurray for the Riff Raff) resulting in a bigger sound and fluid dynamics.
That is felt right from the drop as opener “One Way Train” begins the album with indie rock buzzing in the vein of early Modest Mouse as cascading lyrics and revving guitars swirl before a complete tonal change to the brightly grooving, pushing positivity until brighter days sound of “Bad Times”. While these style changes can be a bit jarring, War’s vocals deserve close listening as her singing is both breathy/enchanting and curt/short, depending on the song’s mood.
Sunny wrote with friends in mind as Valerie June joins for the easy-flowing, light rock number “Cry Baby”, while the less successful, nervous, new wavey “Gone Again” features John Doe. Steve Ignorant comes on board for the slow-rolling funk/punk of “Walking Contradiction,” which directly addresses capitalistic inequities and War’s activist roots. While the need for systemic change floats through all these efforts in some form, the most complete tunes here are her most pop-friendly.
The easy-rolling roots rock of “Rise” uses fluttering singing and organ wonderfully. “No One Calls Me Baby” is an ominous ode to single life via banjo and more, while “Ghosts” is both slippery and sultry, with great bass, chimes, and swirling noises coloring the layered scene. The album’s highlight offering is War’s bright duet with Tré Burt on “Scornful Heart,” a track that is soulful, twangy, and simply gorgeous.
The album wraps with the intriguing “Debbie Downer,” which mixes straight-ahead lyrics with excellent African-influenced percussion and string work. Trying to stay positive through pain, inequities, and loneliness, Sunny War’s Armageddon In A Summer Dress floats between genres and boundaries as the artist sees fit.
