Going into silent moments before winter, a change of soundtracks is needed. This album helps to achieve that goal. Gary Arce from Yawning Man started Softsun a couple of years ago. On Eternal Sunshine (Heavy Psych Sounds), Arce uses guitar tones similar to those employed with Yawning Man, but with a more melodic shoegaze vibe. This project’s strength actually lies in the vocals of bassist Pia Isaksen. She brings a more song-focused element to the table by creating a more tangible narrative. Her voice weaves sleepy melodies in the spaces left by the floating guitar parts. The second song works off a similar formula, as the opening track that finds the band continuing to capture a languid mood as the vocals coo their way into a lonely sunset.
It’s easy to hear how the cool sounds they have captured expand the sonic palette even wider than what Yawning Man does. Thanks to the vocals it gives it a more human touch to connect with. Dynamically, they could be more expensive, but what they are doing works. There is a very subtle shift in the dynamics as a twitch of tension lurks deep within the womblike melodies. It shows the collision of shoegaze and post-rock as the common ground of cinematic drone. Overdriven bass creates a doomier undercurrent as the pace slows for “Sleep the Day Away.” The vocals sit differently in the mix to bring out a different shade in their tone. Did not need a great deal of dynamic shift from them, but this is haunting enough to appease fans of darker music.
For “Abandoned Lands,” when things are less draped in effects, there is more of a haunted folk feel mixed with pastoral western vibes. They continue further down this path, but with more of a twilight atmosphere on the last song, there is a great melancholic lethargy that hangs over the vocal cadance to cast an emotional shadow over things. This album creates a great lonely desert mood, great for campouts at Area 51 or sunset hikes to the Skinkwalker Ranch. They look forward, not back, as there are no nods in the direction of Black Sabbath or Thin Lizzy, even in the more rocking moments. There is nothing on this album that would induce head banging, but that does not seem to be the intention set to these songs. Instead, what you are getting here is an album that is moodier than your average stoner fare, to provide a wider range of emotions than most post-rock soundtracks, yet fans of both genres should find this album keeps the joint in a well-flowing rotation.
Buy the album here:
https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/softsun-eternal-sunrise
8 / 10
WIL CIFER
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