07/10/08
Text: Bryan Hood
A lot will be made of London-based Sunny Day Sets Fire's multicultural make up. There's good reason for this, as singer/guitarist Mauro is from Italy, guitarist Max from Sardinia, Hong Kong native Onyee provides synths/xylophone, drummer Matthew hails from Canada, and bassist Ed being the only Londoner of the bunch. That said, the band members' backgrounds inform their sound rather than define it. No single style dominates, as there are touches of psychedelia and pop throughout, but as Matthew says, "We've got nothing but respect for the cannon of pop, but we're more interested with creating something new." Because of this the band's music has evolved into a sort of surreal pop. It is an energetic and refreshing mix of sounds that will recall the best of the past decade's Brit-pop, minus the annoying bits.
The band's debut, Summer Palace (I Am Sound), is an album of excitement. A variety of sounds are abundantly sprinkled throughout, something one does not expect on a first album. From the album's opener, "Wilderness" to its closer, "Lack of View," sounds careen around the record's audio landscape in joyous fashion. No song is as simple as it seems at first, as each seems to eventually reveal itself as something else entirely. "Smallest Heart on Earth" starts off as a slow acoustic guitar-driven song, but morphs into something booming and epic. The long-player also displays an impressive amount of restraint. Notes mingle sumptuously and crescendos soar, but never does it feel like too much. Sunny Day Sets Fire seem to recognize when to let a song breath and when to reign it in. This is a chaotic album, but it is the kind of chaos that displays confidence and great ability. It comes as no surprise though, especially after you hear Matthew say that, "The whole point of a band is to stretch people's creative capacity." That seems to be exactly what the band has done, quite an accomplishment the first time out.
Even if Summer Palace does not immediately grab you, chances are you will find something to like about Sunny Day Sets Fire's live show. Yes, that's something that can be said about many bands, but this quintet really does shine on stage. As well paced and varied as the album is, it really does not prepare you for the band's set, a rip roaring set of pure energy and vitality. Groups rarely seem to have as much chemistry as Sunny Day Sets Fire do on stage. Each member seems aware of the others in the group, and the set is as much a show for the crowd as it is for them. This understanding of one another shows a band that is a band in the truest sense of the word, something the musical world needs more of.
Sunny Day Sets Fire - Brainless
