While the band started with a familiar yet distinct brand of pop punk, British rockers Boston Manor’s sound has evolved into something even more defined. Ever since their second full-length Welcome To The Neighbourhood, Boston Manor have been experimenting with and expanding on a sound reminiscent of film noir—one that gets more and more vivid with each release. Their fifth album Sundiver (Sharptone Records) shines a new light to the world they continue to grow. 

Sundiver is the second installment of a double album, continuing the story that 2022’s Datura started. The record’s opening line, “Could you please open that window, let the new world in” on “Datura (Dawn)” immediately introduces the theme of new beginnings and outlooks. It is accompanied by a drowsy yet uplifting lo-fi instrumental that follows a recording of birds chirping, evoking the feeling of waking up to a fresh start in life.

Although the album’s first half mostly comprises the singles, every song is chock-full of infectious hooks that call for replays. The cynically grating screams of “Sliding Doors,” high-octane belts of “Heat Me Up” and rhythmic vocal flow of “Horses In A Dream” all check the right boxes on their own, yet only begin to show Boston Manor’s developed songwriting expertise.

And interlude track, “Morning Star,” transitions into Sundiver’s second half with subtle moody riffs and a screeching fadeout. “Dissolve” brings the funk while maintaining the signature shadowy Alternative Rock sound, throwing down bouncy grooves that paint a picture of dancing in the dark. 

“What Is Taken, Will Never Be Lost” then slows things down with some gloomy acoustic arpeggios. As vocalist Henry Cox sings more earworm melodies, a swirling soundscape adds an eerie ambience that sounds almost like mourning angels. The closing track “DC Mini” continues this eeriness in a heavier context, with the help of Debbie Gough from Heriot laying down some feral screams. Though the screams lie behind the stormy guitars in the mix like a gripping shoegaze track, this only adds to the intensity, creating a climactic finish that had been looming for the whole record.

As Boston Manor continue to explore and refine their sound, each album becomes more cohesive and dynamic than the previous. With Sundiver, they have found a strong balance between their heavy and soft elements, emphasizing each end with striking instrumentals and a plethora of haunting hooks.

Buy the album here:
https://www.bostonmanorband.com/

8 / 10
COLLEEN KANOWSKY