Sunstack Jones – A personal, melodic, emotionally charged, dreamy soundscape that draws you in.
It has taken me a while to write this review, as it took me a few listens to feel that I had understood what Sunstack Jones were trying to do with this self-titled third LP. And, it was on the third that I got to thinking on the lyrics. But back to that later.
What Sunstack Jones are most defiantly not is a band with a readily identifiable core style. Their wonderfully orchestrated and musically varied arrangements usually kept me interested. They are not a full on-rock band. That is for sure. If you want an unchallenging, formulaic and “EASY” listen they I would think this one might not be for you.
My only initial gripe was in some songs, I found the lyrics hard to pick out, even with headphones in. This persisted through a second listen, but undaunted I came back for a final attempt so that I could write a review that does it justice. With the mastering abilities of Nick McCabe of the Verve in tow, it hit me that I needed to listen a little harder, and that perhaps it was deliberate that in some quieter songs, which were more sonically stripped back – such as the to me REM tinged Say Something, the acoustic loveliness of From Afar or the majestically epic and karmic Sun is Always to close- I got more lyrics. Others I still could not quite catch, and then I had the realisation that perhaps this initial inaccessibility is deliberately created, not in any way a production issue.
What I mean by this is that is an inner core of peace and acceptance about their music. I had started with the intention of writing a straight up track by track review, but then thought that this would be to miss the point. What I have taken away from the album is a sense of calm and deep musical exploration. Lyrics I did zone in on were often about not letting bad experiences define you, about having the resilience to “Keep your head, “find your way back home”, frustration, regret, before moving onto a position in the final track that “The Sun is always there – Just forget.” Song writing of quite a cathartic nature.
There are so many influences in this fascinating album that it would take me time to list them. A definite Beatles Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds flavour in “Without Being Told”, a kind of haunted, psychedelic tune, which along with most tracks demonstrated lovely arrangements and vocal harmonies that layered the sound effectively. You could get lost in the jangly indie pop of “By the By” without knowing what the track was totally about. A couple of tracks reminded me of Bob Dylans “Oh Mercy” in the arrangement, particularly the gentle shuffling opener “Im on Your Side”, and especially perhaps my favourite track, “From Afar.” I loved the bare, minimalist instrumentation on this one. It had a slightly eery, dark yet hypnotic quality. And the randomly introduced blues harmonica was a great touch.
In other places, I heard Stones influence, REM, Coral, and above all The Verve. This might reflect the mastering. Not every track worked for me, but most gave me something to think about and want to go back to and try again. There are so many moments in it where a riff here or a simple Japanese style melody there just hit you. Vocal choruses and harmonising were outstanding throughout. One of my favourite melodic moments was in track 11, “Stay a While” where the darker lyrics in the minor are transported to a major key with a more positive intent.
There is a lot more I could say, but ultimately, I found this a well- constructed and musically very interesting listen. Even the occasional track I found myself less interested in always had a moment where something different or daring was attempted.
Finally, what I sensed is that the vocals were always not the point, until they were foregrounded to make them so. It was about the emotion coming from the music mostly, the occasional songs or parts of songs where they came through clearly being there to give you a clue almost. In the main, I came to see them as voices in a lush cinematic soundscape. In some way, I felt that the music could make the point. You would think a song sounded a bit emotional in a particular direction and then you would latch onto some lyric that suggested this. At the same time, there were times when I was not sure. And I thought this the point, that life is not easy, meaning is not clear, and you have to work hard to find it.
I write this as a hardcore jazz – hip hop head who does not listen to a lot of indie music, which is why I took on the challenge of the review and am glad that I did. It made me think about genres out of my comfort zone, which must be a good thing. It takes some work and perseverance to get yourself to the place that I think the band want, which is where you let all the negative energy go and just accept life for all it is. Work through that but keep on going. And, in their case, make melodically stunning and emotionally interesting music.
Indie heads will love it. Sunstack Jones is a grower of an album, full of good intent and musical variety. I cannot wait to se what I find next time. Definitely worth the effort. Bravo!
George Roberts
