Sunflower Bean’s run to date has been defined by their willingness to dabble in multiple genres and their new EP ‘Shake’ is no different. The New York trio’s latest has more grit and edge than a lot of their previous work, while retaining their love of pleasing melodies and low-key, dulcet vocals.
Guitarist and vocalist Nick Kivlen recently described their approach in terms of taking something abrasive and rendering it beautiful, and that sentiment is exactly what they've achieved on a short but effective record.
On the title track, distorted vocals emerge amid crunching guitar riffs and Olive Faber’s crashing drums, with its stomping approach providing a neat contrast to Teach Me To Be Bad, where Julia Cumming’s ever-reliable vocals are especially sultry and magnetic.
It’s an addictive tune with a slick guitar solo that adds to its alluring mid-2000s alt-rock sound. Its follow up, Serial Killer, starts softly but its chorus hits home thanks to Kivlen’s warbling, distorted guitars kicking in.
The closing track, Angelica, finds Cumming and Kivlen’s voices paired together against driving fuzz. It’s turned down a few notches compared to some of the other songs here, but never loses sight of the heavier rock influences the band are playing around with.
Despite its brief runtime, ‘Shake’ makes its mark and ushers in a new era for Sunflower Bean — it’s both a fleshed-out exploration of an exciting new sound and a rousing glimpse of what to expect as they settle into their next phase.
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