Sunset Sunday – ‘Not Just A Phase’.
Sunset Sunday – Taunton, England, United Kingdom.
Cover Photo credit – Mike Chase.
People say that you should judge a book by its cover, but what that really means is that you shouldn’t let your initial judgements cloud the opinion you will eventually formulate. It’s human nature to judge instantly to some extent and that is what I found with name of this Taunton four-piece and their debut full-length, Not Just A Phase.
The great thing about such a knee-jerk judgement is that despite its place in the natural order of the human psyche, it’s entirely possible that it will be blown out of the water and with Not Just a Phase, this Taunton four-piece have done just that.
I have a tendency to write either in or in variation of a track-by-track formula but with this album, I’d likely pen a chronicle length piece, so here are few reasons why this really isn’t a phase and why you need this album.
The feedback of the ‘Hello’ subsides abruptly for a track that in some parallel universe would be the Sum 41’s own track ‘Summer’ had the band been British and release their debut Half Hour Of Power but a few weeks ago.
And that is very thing of this album, its beginnings carry waves and sound that breathe such a plethora of influence distributed with an English flare. The aforementioned Sum 41, guitar lines that sit nearer to the likes of Latterman and RVIVR, low riding rhythms that sounds like something from Green Day back in the Dookie and Insomniac years.
Sunset Sunday embody a more traditional Pop-Punk sound almost wholly but simultaneously hint and both a heavier sound and a maturity that contrasts but doesn’t quite out grow. With ‘Figure It Out’ you are treated one last time to another classic Pop-Punk number reminiscent of New Found Glory before Sunset Sunday onset their “serious face” in ‘Make The World Hate Again’.
Of course, what the content of that song concerns is up to you to decipher but I will say is that from this point on the album takes a turn from 90’s Pop-Punk to its faster and more abrasive cousins. No Use For A Name, (latter) Rise Against and particularly NOFX come to mind.
‘Freddie’s Room’ stands at less than a minute in its snotty-Punk humour while ‘The Leaders’ is upbeat but continues to bring forth more of disenfranchised concerns Not Just A Phase draws from.
Despite its clear and unashamed odes to stylistic days either gone past or simply sat in an older steading, one of the unambiguous strengths of this album is that it holds a strong continuity while simultaneously pushes itself to display as many of its inspirations as it can. A risky move for a band so young in actuality and in regard to their career.
But that’s another point. Sunset Sunday as collective display a level of skill and apparent experience that far exceed that of their “stage time”.
Find the band below:
- For updates head to Facebook and Twitter.
- For Not Just A Phase and the band’s music to date, head to SoundCloud, Spotify and bandcamp.
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