Sunday Mourners
A-Rhythm Absolute
***and1/2 out of *****
The debut full length release from Sunday Mourners, A-Rhythm Absolute, on Curation Records is angular, post-punk journey. While the young band is based in Los Angeles, their retro-sound is straight out of New York City's East Village in 1976.
The quartet of Quinn A. Robinson (Vocals/guitar) Maxwell Pugh (Guitar) Casey Conklin (Bass guitar) & Z Evan Long (Percussion) begin the album with the excellent "Careers in Acting", a catchy yet clanging slice of adventurous rock. The groove kicks up for the equally top-notch "Biograph" as the band lock in and get down.
Two songs into their debut and their influences are crystal clear as acts like The Modern Lovers, Television and The Velvet Underground are Sunday Mourners DNA. Robinson's vocals look to Jonathan Richman's detached style, the angular guitars have Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd dreams, while the no rules cool of John Cale and Lou Reed struts at the edges.
The band dives into experimentation for the third track on the album, the extended "Darling" which starts slow and introspective before going on for twelve minutes of noisy rock that unfortunately never gets to any place interesting. Placing it right in the center of A-Rhythm Absolute is also an odd choice as it kills the albums momentum. Had it been the closing effort, the full album would have flowed more successfully.
However, the band works well on their retro terms with all of the other offerings. On the extended track front, the more razor wire laced "Phantom Affair" builds a rising tension with excellent guitar work. The quicker numbers like the pop laced "Love Observations" is a sweet outing while "Unwitting Boy" is a riveting pop-punk rocker that delivers great percussion and experimental sounds to close. The bass leads the charge on the grooving "He Cried (Tender Absolute)" which is a fun choppy effort while "When Dreams Come True" closes the album strong.
Linked to a specific sound, this strong debut from Sunday Mourner's, A-Rhythm Absolute, finds the band playing tribute to their heroes while finding their own path.
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