Solrun
Sun Secret
Having waited long enough for a physical CD to review from the Solrun chappies, I decided to go all 21st century and review the tunes on their myspace page. It’s two thirds of the new CD anyway and I desperately need to dispel the myth that all I do is whinge and bitch about all things ‘young’. Rofl rofl rofl, lmao, comment me etc etc etc. Blimey the years are just dripping off me.
What’s wrong with me? I’m 22 for Christ’s sake.
*Sigh*
Anyway, to the task at hand. First thing to mention is that Solrun is the reincarnation of 7 Days At Knifepoint, a name change for musical rather than image-related reasons. The band’s music has changed so much since the days of fan’s fave ‘Erratic’, and the guys have clearly been exposed to a far wider range of influences in the meantime.
Critically, Solrun have a ‘sound’. They now exist in a capacity that makes it highly credible to describe other bands as ‘a bit like Solrun’, such is the focus of the soundscape on offer. The two tracks entitled ‘Sun Secret’ and ‘Ke’pic’ are very different in how they feel, but have the Solrun hallmark throughout. Perhaps it is frontman Kelvin’s switch from guitarist to sound manipulator that completes the package, or perhaps they’ve just got better at what they do. Quite frankly, it really doesn’t matter.
‘Sun Secret’ is what I would call an ‘opener’. It fades in and exists as an erring, undecided lead-in for almost two minutes, before vocals begin and the tune continues to grow. The song seems to evolve, completing its fleeting full form at the three minute mark and dying out before the forth. It’s marvellously atmospheric, as is surely the purpose. Huzzah!
‘Ke’pic’, in stark contrast, throws us in at the deep end from the word go with stuttering riffs and majestic crooning sections that intersect each other like a nicely organised car crash. It shouldn’t work, but by golly it does, and you can’t help but stare. Or whatever the equivalent of stare is in audio terms. During the harmonious sections I find myself craving the daunting riffs and visa versa. Much like ‘Sun Secret’, there is no chorus as such, just section after section that leads effortlessly into the next.
The best way to listen to Solrun is to experience it, to allow yourself to drift wherever the song may take you. For new listeners it’s a ride and afterwards it’s like that rollercoaster at Alton Towers with no queue. No matter how many times you experience it, it never gets old.
Guest article from Matt S.
Written by Guest Writers on
