Sunflower Bean - Human Ceremony

Sunflower Bean
Human Ceremony
2016
Spotify

Human Ceremony can be called a nostalgia record in one sense, but in reality there is so much more going on that trying to fit it in to some kind of box would be a fools errand. There is the dirty guitar licks from the best the 70s had to offer, beautiful song writing reminiscent of the 60s and a new wave sensibility and musical arsenal make Sunflower Bean one of the most interesting bands out there today. Their music is complex and layered but filled with filled with so many catchy hooks and raw fun that listening is an absolute joy. A lot of times bands that use a lo-fi effect use so much of it that it drowns out a lot of what they are trying to do. It becomes grading and harsh, but not with Human Ceremony. The light touch that Sunflower Beam have is really incredible as they are able to tip toe from genre to genre taking just what they need and leaving the rest behind. Sunflower Beam are never going to beat you over the head with music, instead they let you come to it as you want but once you are there that is where all the truly great stuff unfolds. The ending of "2013" is raw and aggressive and shows that when called for the band is not adverse to rocking the fuck out. The female male vocal leads is not a new thing, but it feels fresh in Sunflower Beam because Julia Cumming's voice is so sweet and Nick Kivlen almost has a punk rock twinge to it.

With the guitars and synths seeming to dominate it is easy to loose the stellar drumming done by Jacob Faber throughout the record. "I Was Home" is the most classic rock and roll song bouncing along as Faber raps away on the snare. The way this band changes moods on a dime without snapping your neck around is really incredible. With a band this innately talented you would expect them to push everything forward, but they hold back a bit showing that there may be more inside them once they let the reigns loose a bit. Some groups throw a lot at the wall just to see what sticks, but you really do not get that on Human Ceremony. Their decisions feel very intentional even if it does lead to some straight line comparisons between other bands. "Creation Myth" is one song where we find the band sort of fumbling a bit including a metal-ish breakdown about a third of the way through the track that does not fit at all. As a debut you could not ask for something as strong as Human Ceremony. It both introduces the band to world and shows the potential for what is coming in the future. Sunflower Beam really do have the chance to be something big, but only time will tell.

8.1 out of 10