ARTIST: Sunfold
TITLE: Harmonia Macrocosmica: Part 1
LABEL: Terpsikhore Records
GENRE: Indie
BITRATE: 214kbps avg
PLAYTIME: 0h 15m total
RELEASE DATE: 2010-03-30
RIP DATE: 2010-06-18
Track List
----------
1. April 3:37
2. Levels 4:06
3. Weeping Wall 3:35
4. Thought We'd See You Hovering 4:16
Release Notes:
http://www.myspace.com/sunfold
While living in the slightly shrunken shadow of its big brother band, Annuals,
Sunfold has barely been heard from since releasing its first full-length two
summers ago. Annuals guitarist Kenny Florence fronts the sextet, eschewing
Annuals bombast for precise texture and a more traditional
guitar-keys-bass-drums approach.
Though there's not a knockout single to be found among the four tracks on
Sunfold's Harmonia Macrocosmica, the EP's reward is the gradual discovery that
comes from peeling back the layers of its soundscapes. "April," for instance,
ushers in the disc with its most straight-ahead tune. While less imaginative
bands would make the verse-chorus-verse-bridge-chorus structure sound rote, the
arrangement evolves constantly here: Gentle electric guitar glides on waves of
delay in verse one, content to saunter alongside Florence's unhurried delivery,
though the guitars crunch in the pre-chorus before soon winding skyward,
matching Florence on the anthemic refrain. Electronic flourishes and skuzzy keys
come out to play before the tune can work its way back to the second chorus.
Sunfold is just as adventurous elsewhere.
Taking cues from both latter-day Radiohead and Danny Elfman's Edward
Scissorhands score, "Levels" abruptly jumps from ethereal vocals, fingerpicked
guitar and otherworldly keys to a skittering electrobeat, pushing a lush swirl
of electronics and guitars. Punchy closer "Thought We'd See You Hovering" drips
with organ and rides a deep bass groove through its dreamy verses. Like the rest
of Harmonia Macrocosmica, the hooks here are somewhat weak, but Sunfold's
fertile imagination merits repeated explorations.