Underwater Sunshine “Suckertree”
It’s safe to say this band isn’t named after a Counting Crows album, but it does sound like an amazing lost Posies or Sloan album. Underwater Sunshine is a Vancouver quartet from the ’90s that never got a proper shot at stardom. They almost got signed by a big label in 1997, but it never happened. Lead vocalist/guitarist John Nikolic preserved the tapes of the band’s songs and with the time afforded during the pandemic, had Evan Morgan Productions re-mix the songs and finally release them. Fans of similar Canadian power-pop bands like Sloan and Grapes of Wrath are sure to find a lot to like.
Opening with “Verse 2” it’s a dead ringer for ‘Frosting on the Beater’-era Posies, with a killer chorus “When you come in with this song, you rock and roll” and the follow up “It’s You” keeps the same layered guitar and dense drum rhythms. “Baby Blue” (no relation to the Badfinger classic) slows the tempo a little, paints an expansive picture about mediation and projection with a wicked guitar break. There are elements of grunge not-so-hidden in a few songs, but the hooks are there and they stick more often than not. Despite the four-minute plus running time for most songs, it goes by quick as there are plenty of recommended tracks; “Who You Are,” “Rusty Crown” and “Listen To Reason.” The similarity between the aforementioned bands might have kept them from getting signed before, but it’s great to hear them now. Highly Recommended.
Richard X. Heyman “Copious Notes”
The prolific DIY rocker Richard X. Heyman is back with familiar pop themes and musings on his 14th(!) album. Opening with a choral harmony, “Nearly There” is everything we love about RXH – a melodic gem about hope and happiness that is “nearly there.” The jangling acoustic guitars and horns on “Choices We Make” showcase Richard’s adept skills as a songwriter with a Motown soul, as he also does for the songs “Sink or Swim” and “The Greater Good.”
The gentle bounce on “Tell Me When” is another magical tune that will put you in a good mood, and RXH sounds like he’s having a ball playing it. Additional standouts include “The Oval,” and “Return To You.” However, like past recent work, some ballads (“Cedarbrook Park,” “Ransom,” and “But Our Love”) are bathed in nostalgia or dour mood and it slows the album’s momentum. It’s just my opinion, but I would like to hear a little more of Richard’s wild side solo, or does he only save those songs for The Doughboys albums? Still, a very entertaining collection of songs that deserve to be heard.
