Golden Repair is the fourth album release from the estimable Sunstack Jones and is available on Mai 68 Records.
The band, originally conceived as a songwriting project - have evolved a long way, self releasing two LP’s and receiving airplay from BBC Radio 2 from Mark Radcliffe and final band members joining to make it a fully fledged live lineup in 2016. Further releases including their third album with collaborators such as producer (and ex-Fishmonkeyman frontman) Paul Den Heyer and the Verve’s Nick McCabe. This album was released on Deltasonic Records in 2018 to a 4 Star review in Mojo Magazine airplay on Steve Lamacq BBC Radio 6 playlist.
There’s an overall feeling to the album that reminds me of the Beta Band or even Gomez and perhaps just a hint off Gram Parsons. Its gentle and uplifting with the excellent harmony vocals as exemplified by the opening track ‘Where You Gonna Go’. Track 2 ‘How It All Went Down’ continues in the same somnambulistic fashion with some lovely sounding lead work that adds to the overall psych soundscape.
‘Shouldabin’ opens with a mysterious sounding guitar motif that underpins the harmonies and it has a melancholic feel. The band are happy to take the risk of exploring musical ideas, not producing instant pop songs, and tracks like ‘Shouldabin’ benefit from this musical bravery.
‘Nowhere Near an Ocean’ sounds big, a haunting guitar and echoey vocals open up to some big chords and a heavier sound with some sparse but heavy drums. Then as quickly as it explodes it shrinks back down, each instrument occupying its own space.
‘Glass Boat’ passes by pleasantly, it’s a track that grows with repeated plays. With its dreamlike main theme suddenly overtaken by an attack of melodic guitar bursts before the song rises into the chorus. ‘Wintersong’ has a gentle but sad feel at its outset which morphs into reverb laden guitar riffs and by its culmination it feels like a journey has been undertaken.
The albums title track ‘Golden Repair’ reinforces its clean blues guitar intro riff with a more distorted version and starts to see where this riff will lead. Distant voices are heard underneath the stomping and slowly rising guitars. It features some fantastic lead guitar work. The main theme drives all the way through this track but tangents are frequently taken, it rises and falls swooping rapidly as the band let it all go and then falling as quickly allowing the listener time to get their breath back.
A crystalline tremolo guitar begins ‘Distill’ and a single voice joins producing a dreamy background all wit ha certain hint of 60s vibe about it. ‘Seams’ opens with staccato drums and then swamps these in big echoey guitar and harmony vocals. The vocals have a 70s prog feel to them.
‘Almost Hear the City’ rounds off the album with a hint of Zeppelin blues rock wrapped in the dreamy ecstasy of the Sunstacks own sound.
Altogether one of the most complete albums I’ve listened to in a while. It keeps a unique sound whilst nodding its hat at West Coast, Psychedelia and 60s British Blues bands - amongst many others. I’d dearly love to see this band live, the album has a feel that this album is the tip of the iceberg and live is where Sunstack Jones thrive.
Words: RBY, Images: Band Media.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SunstackJones
Bandcamp: https://sunstackjones.bandcamp.com/