Appropriate of its title, Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor‘s new album, Good Goddamn, is sometimes loud, bold, and a bit unhinged.
It starts off with a bit of deception on “She Makes a Great Parade.” The song sounds like a record that was left on a windowsill in late June and used as a sleeping mat for a cat. I mean that in the best possible way, because I don’t know how else SOYSV get the trippy, warped sound on it. Both Eric Oppitz‘s bass and keyboards are floating in space, Sean Morrow‘s guitar goes from rocket thrusters to spaghetti westerns, and Rick Sawoscinski‘s drums are a mix of chaos and order like they’re played by Harvey Dent.
“It’s Good to Be Alive” is a natural follow-up, as its title is referenced in the lyrics of the opening track. The song, and especially Morrow’s guitar work, slips back and forth between shoegaze fuzz and dreamy psych-rock. I also love the electronic beats that sound like something from a 1990s hip hop B-side. Trust me. It works, as do the lyrics about being brave enough to “step in the light.” The title track is as crazy as you hope it will be, with Morrow calling out motherfuckers who haven’t paid their dues. Sawoscinski sounds like he’s having a blast on it, jumping back and forth from, again, beats that would work in hip hop or house to near-metal pounding. There’s a ripping sax solo on this cut, too, elevating it to something like a Stooges proto-punk rager.
“Never Comin’ Over” reminds me a bit of some Love and Rockets cuts with its swirling guitar riffs. Oppitz’s love of synthwave comes through on “Walk of Sobriety,” as his keyboard work is perfectly suitable for a nightclub patronized by androids. Morrow sings / shouts to people who need to wake up from their illusions, and even more so from the ones projected onto them by others. His vocals are often frantic throughout the whole record, channeling his (and his pals’) rage and frustration with the world in general for the last two years.
“Taser Blue” and “A Little Sweetness” slow things down for a bit so you can settle in for a nice drift down a sunny river or chilling in your apartment with a tasty slice of leftover pizza while the cat decides to sleep on your lap instead of that record on the windowsill. Both options are valid. The closer, “Specimen Jar,” has Morrow bringing back some of the vocal hooks and lyrics that are spread throughout the record, giving the album a bit of a looping effect as Sawoscinki builds the beats into a mind-altering cadence until the song, and the album, ends with the lyric “It’s good to be alive.”
It’s a nice, hopeful send-off for everyone. It’s a reminder to stay present, even in the chaos and in suffering. It’s a hell of a record.
Keep your mind open.
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