Suns Mania! Double ep releases reviewed.

In full disclosure I am a big fan of the band Suns. I saw them at Lincoln Hall (my video below) through a gracious invite of Rebecca at Betta Promotions. I was amazed by their full sound created by a clarinet, mandolin, and also double drummer set up utilized by the band as well as soaring guitars. So I was attentively awaiting the release of their album or ep and was happy to hear that they released 2 ep's at one time.




The Howl and the Many and Close Calls in the U.S. Space Program can be download the for FREE HERE (Donations Accepted Too). After listening to them for the past 2 weeks I can tell you they are really good. They encompass indie pop, indie rock, chamber pop with hints of Americana. Each of these has it's own distinct feel. Both are propelled by the double drummer setup of Clinton Weber and Chris Pagnani who use mallets through a good chunk of the songs on toms. This makes for a low rumbling that matches the symphonic sound of these two ep's. Mikey Russell 's vocals put a bit of an Americana spin on these out-sized pop gems. The guitars of Nick Enderle and Mikey Russell make a wash of sound that is punctuated by Kody Nixon's smooth bass lines. Then there's Matt Lemke who is a jack of all trades playing rhodes, magnus, harmonium, synth, guitar.


The Howl and The Many is a bit more of a straight ahead indie album. From the rumble of "Everything Changes", the opener, to the closer "Four Winds" (video above) this ep is addictive. My favorite is the drowsy goodness of"Gladys". That ambling hook has been in my head for two weeks! Chants and howls and symphonic passes are abound. These four songs work really well together.


Close Calls In The U.S. Space Program is a bit more experimental than The Howl and the Many. The songs on Close Calls are moody and feature the signature symphonic sound that Suns will always be known for. "Little Horn" is my fave track on this ep, the low rumble of the toms and chants in the chorus are offset by many song breaks which make this song feel like 3 or 4 songs. There is attention paid by Suns to every sound on here. With headphones you hear every feint sound and gentle fade. They know what they want, and they achieve it on both of these ep releases.

So please download the ep's and donate if you can. At least help spread the word. People need to hear this band. Also, if you like live music you have to see them. They may be playing a gig at the Chopin soon. Stay tuned.