Review Summary: How to forget about Winter for 35 minutes...
The affinity the people in Denmark and Sweden have for sunny psychedelia and classic/hard rock is commendable. Joining the strong roster are The Sonic Dawn, who have quite rapidly become a band to follow closely. The Danish trio have found their feet rather fast on the debut LP and two years later proved on
Into the Long Night there’s room to expand as well. Nevertheless, the foundation of their work is based upon ‘60s psychedelic pop tunes with a touch of blues rock, soul and Americana. Luckily, these influences found their way to the fore front on the latest effort,
Eclipse. Leaving aside lengthier instrumental passages in favor of focused ditties, the group’s attention to melody paid off best this time around.
Musically, The Sonic Dawn retained the vintage production (especially that guitar twang) to provide a valid ‘60s pastiche. Thankfully, there’s a large spectrum of tunes on
Eclipse, ranging from delicate, dreamy cuts to grittier rockers. Roughly half of the album stands out on a first listen, probably with ‘Forever 1969’ up front. The opener’s steady groove and gorgeous vocals are stunning, plus every detail comes across so natural in the mix. Also, the immediate ‘No Chaser’ & ‘Love Bird’ will get you dancing in no time with their stomping beats and driving guitars. Meanwhile, mid-tempo numbers such as ‘To Change Who We Are’, ‘Islands in Time’ or ‘Circle of Things’ are enhanced by hypnotic bass lines. The drums play along tightly, sharing the spotlight alongside the warm vocals. I really enjoy how the guys kept things simple and straightforward. Everything is in the right place, there is nothing thrown for the sake of it or overdone.
The remaining half of the album is split between a string of laid back tracks and a couple of rockers surrounding them for balance. The surf-leaning, ‘Opening Night’ gently sways along, while the smooth ‘Last Page’ is augmented by a paranoid synth lead. On the other side, ‘Christiania’ toys with a cool, faint reverse reverb on the guitar solo and gang vocals that would make Motorpsycho happy. All these slight variations and changes are definitely welcomed, creating a diverse LP without having to step beyond its sonic boundaries. Lastly, The Sonic Dawn decided to end this strong record with a pastoral, folksy song whose mournful atmosphere settles in like the chilly night after a long, sunny day. There’s a slight uneasy feeling to it and the growth in volume on the second half only amplifies it. A Hammond organ replaces the soft croon, complementing a final jam that ends the journey. The chemistry between the members improved significantly since their debut and I hope they continue to hone their output, because
Eclipse is a big step in the right direction. Even if you haven't been aware of these guys until now, you should give this a spin, it's a fun affair.
