(This review first appeared in issue #66 of Shindig! magazine.)
Skeleton
Key CD / LP
“Times change and we
move on” sing Niamh Rowe and Fiona Skelly on album opener 'Before
The Storm'. Indeed they do. The Sundowners have blossomed from their
Byrdsian roots into confident, forceful purveyors of contemporary
psychedelic rock. Cut The Master, their second long player is
in part produced by The Coral's James Skelly and Finders Keepers
supremo Andy Votel, with the latter providing short cinematic
interludes between the tracks. A nice touch which aids the album's
flow but it's the band and the songs that are the real stars here.
Space-rock, folk-rock,
sinewy bass-lines, propulsive beats and a synthy ambiance combine
into a truly special brew. And then there's those dual female vocals.
Low points? There aren't any. This is modern psychedelia at it's
best, an album that hits big with analogue textures and timeless
melodies. The Wirral five-piece have stepped up. There must be
something in the water up there!
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