The Sun Sawed in 1/2 “ Triptych”
Sun Sawed in 1/2 is a St. Louis band founded by brothers Ken Rose (bass) and Tim Rose (lead guitar) with vocalist Doug Bobenhouse. They road the resurgence of power pop popularity in the late ’90s (with the standout of 1997’s Fizzy Lift) and are often compared to Jellyfish, The Posies, and XTC.
They are back after a 9-year break with a series of digital-only EPs (Beaches In Bali, Sirens, and Before The Fall) now compiled into a 20-song set called Triptych. The band is in fine form overall, with many ideas and hooks stuffed into each song, like the opener “Dried Cherry Blossoms,” with its hand-clapping chorus, and “Soft Away” with its dreamy harmonies. Sometimes the music follows dramatic winding paths, like “Sirens” and “Call For A Good Time.” Some songs are more immediate than others, highlights include “Twist of Lemon” and the atmospheric epic “The Cool Ivory Wonderful.” They also don’t stick to a single template (“Too High Strung,” “Sitting In A Tree”) as they stylistically shift things often. Overall, an excellent collection – highly recommended.
Tony Molina “In the Fade”
Songs that last less than a minute or so get viewed as filler and can be perceived as lacking the scope or power of longer songs, but it’s a current trend I’m seeing more of with our micro-sized attention spans. The Beatles’ “Her Majesty” count as a hit in this category, and artists like 2nd Grade, Ryan Allen, Mo Troper, and Nick Frater have done albums full of it. But writing excellent music which doesn’t break the minute mark is a skill in and of itself. West Bay native Tony Molina has made it his mission to excel in this niche.
Molina has been doing this since 2014, perfecting his Beatlesque bedroom melodies and fuzzy jams. His newest In the Fade, is very much a concept album about leaving a relationship from different points of view. “The Last Time” has a low fuzz and bouncy rhythm similar to Weezer, “Leave This Town” and “Burn Everyone” effectively channels Teenage Fanclub. “Years Ago pt. 2” is a lovely closing melody, and each song works to effectively support the entire collection. The short phrases are well written and begs multiple repeat plays. Super Highly Recommended.
