SUNFACE – Cloud Castles

It has been way too long since we last heard from the Oslo-based rockers known as Sunface, but the eight-year gap between their stunning debut album and this, their highly potent sophomore effort, has been worth the wait, which is testament to just how delightfully enthralling Cloud Castles well and truly is.

With its hazy atmosphere, psychedelic rock vibes, dark riffs that sound as if they were conjured up in the desert, and strangely beguiling vocals, this LP is something quite different and extraordinary. Weaving influences from African and Middle Eastern music into the reverb-soaked mix only adds to its appeal and somewhat mysterious aura, and it possesses a great flow in that it comes across as a cohesive and oftentimes mesmerizing musical journey. Always engaging and interesting as well as perfectly dynamic and balanced with respect to light and shade, this one is simply a phenomenal slab of well-composed rock that offers originality and catchiness in equal measure, and I can easily imagine Cloud Castles appealing to a wide and diverse audience out there. Just listen to raw, fuzz-laden workouts of compositional genius such as ‘Second Voyage’ and ‘Thunder Era’ – how frigging awesome are they?! – and the seductive ‘Green Fields and Familiar Faces’ is worth the price of admission alone. Suffice it to say that this record is not to be missed if you feel inclined to embark on some introspective traveling through remarkably meditative soundscapes.