BAD SUNS- LANGUAGE & PERSPECTIVE | ALBUM REVIEW
For those who don't already know, Bad Suns are a indie-rock 4-piece from sunny Los Angeles, California. The band dropped their debut album, Language & Perspective this time last week.
The record kicks off with Matthew James, an up-beat track that sets the tone for the rest of the album with powerful vocals from lead singer Christo Bowman, huge emphasis on guitars, and an unmistakeable beachy, California vibe. The song is a nice kick-start to the record and it includes a title drop in the third verse, "Language and perspective shape the way we live", to give listeners an intro to what is to be expected, both musically and lyrically.
The next track, We Move Like The Ocean slides in seamlessly from it's predecessor and begins with a chord arrangement that is signature to Bad Suns; it can be heard on other songs as well, including the succeeder, Cardiac Arrest. Lyrically, this song is a stand-out. It depicts the feeling of drowning in a relationship, with Bowman belting the words, "We move like the ocean, but I can't swim anymore".
Cardiac Arrest, the third track, was the band's first ever single back in 2013 and is easily one of their most popular tunes. This song is a bit slower than the others, though it is just as catchy and meaningful, as Bowman sings about the danger lying in a woman's kiss.
By the time you reach the fourth and fifth songs, Pretend and Take My Love And Run there is an undeniable feeling of repetition and lack of variety in the chords and melodies of the tracks. As far as continuity goes, this album flows seamlessly. Although, the sensation of the same sounds being repeated over and over does not fare well with the typical listener.
This feeling of overwhelming continuity persists into the next songs Dancing On Quicksand and Salt, though each song has small stand-out factors that are worth acknowledging. In Dancing On Quicksand, Bowman's falsettos are remarkable, and in Salt, the back-beat is nothing short of infectious. Both of these songs are lyrical stand-outs and score a 10/10 for being extremely catchy.
Fortunately, the next song, Transpose is also highly catchy and danceable. This song also features complex guitar riffs and a solid emphasis on drums. This drum-prominence is continued in the next track, Learn To Trust, and is complimented nicely by some grungey guitar riffs, somehow all adding up to a beachy tune.
Next, the album takes a dark turn with Sleep Paralysis, a significant stand-out song. It is eerily captivating, featuring impressive falsettos contrasted by deeper vocals singing of fear and danger. It is a much needed break from the other up-beat tunes that fill the rest of the album.
The cliché holds true, they saved the best for last. Rearview is the last song on the record, and it is another up-beat beachy tune, but this time including hard bass, light keyboard sounds, a head-bobbing beat, and flowing guitar riffs. The album quite literally ends on a good note, and leaves the listener wanting more (specifically of what they just heard).
Buy Language & Perspective on iTunes
Stream it on SoundCloud