Release Date: May 03rd 2024. Record Label: Half Empty Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
Crime Gardens: Tracklisting
1.Graveyard of the Nation 05:52
2.The Smallest City 04:33
3.Frenetic 03:34
4.Jumps 05:19
5.Bonus Wolf 04:47
6.Fell Down A Ravine 04:35
7.Frenetic (A Dream) 03:48
8.Lacewings 05:30
9.Endling 08:54
Band Members
J. Blucas - guitars, vocals, synths, samples, malaise
N. Yeager - bass, vocals, chicken philly
C. Kolasa - guitars, backing vocals, dogs
J. Eisenberg - drums, river
Review
Crime Gardens is the new album from Doom/Post-Hardcore/Shoegaze collective SUNWISE who have a sludgy undercurrent to their music with aspects of Slowcore and Space Rock to allow the band to have a cool sounding 90’s Alt Rock/Metal feel. Perhaps taking cues from bands such as HUM, Failure and Cloakroom with the vocals being more Indie Rock based which all comes into great effect on the excellent opening track Graveyard Of The Nation.
SUNWISE are quite a melodic bunch with the band focusing upon tone, melody, composition and aggression in equal measure. There’s a sense of lo-fi surrealism to their lyrics that are often quite moody and prompted by real life which remind me of bands such as EELS in certain aspects especially on tracks such as The Smallest City and Frenetic.
The music is never what you expect and the heavy Doomgaze grooves appear out of nowhere and then suddenly disappear into a wall of Indie/Alt-Rock haze which can be reminiscent of TORCHE and FLOOR with how the music becomes highly volatile with the pounding sludgy instrumental movements. Areas of Psychedelic Rock transforms suddenly into Sonic Distortion with a modern rock score on the later stages of the album.
SUNWISE aren’t your typical “DOOMGAZE” band as they weave so many different creative themes and elements into their music where I can see the band being adored by the Indie Rock and Doomgaze scenes in equal measure. Crime Gardens is a multi-layered and fascinating experience with SUNWISE delivering music that’s beautifully poetic and most importantly has a real dimension to it all.
The avalanche of crunching guitars becomes more commonplace on tracks such as Jumps, Bonus Wolf, Lacewings and the brilliant final track of Endling. With moments that have a subtle Post-Rock energy matched against the superb Post-Punk vocals that never outstay their welcome.
Crime Gardens is an album that offers a beautifully constructed and realized vision of the world which you rarely encounter these days. SUNWISE have delivered the goods with Crime Gardens and if you want to experience something different from the usual Doomgaze/Shoegaze sound then this album will open your mind to a whole new world of music to lose yourself in.
Words by Steve Howe
Crime Gardens is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Half Empty Records.
Links
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