WHITE SUNS - SINEWS (LOAD 141)

IN THE 1990S THE GROUP LABRADFORD CURATED WHAT THEY CALLED "THE FESTIVAL OF DRIFTING" WHICH CELEBRATED THE IDEA OF GENRELESSNESS IN A WORLD OBSESSED WITH TAXONOMY AND PIGEONHOLING GROUPS ACCORDING TO STRICT LINES. NOW I MAY COME ACROSS A BIT VICTORIAN DAD BUT GENRES ARE AT LEAST SOMEWHAT USEFUL (EVEN IF GOOD BANDS RARELY SAY "WE'RE A [GENRE] BAND"). HOWEVER IT IS ALWAYS QUITE GOOD TO COME ACROSS A GROUP AND SAY "WHAT IS THIS?" WHITE SUNS ARE A BIT LIKE THAT.

IF I HAD TO TAKE A WILD SWING IT WOULD BE THAT WHITE SUNS ARE SORT OF A FREE-FORM ROCK BAND WITH FORAYS INTO OUTER METAL, SUNBURNED PSYCH, DEAD C-STYLE COLLAPSING NARRATIVES, AND "EXPERIMENTAL ROCK". ACTUALLY I THINK IN THEIR GENRE COLLISION AND REJECTION OF THE CLASSIC ROCK BAND LINE-UP, THERE'S SOMETHING VERY 2020 ABOUT WHITE SUNS. THIS EVEN SOUNDS LIKE A RECORD THAT COULD HAVE JUST DROPPED.

IT'S HEAVY AND EXCITING AND I DARESAY IT IS EVEN ORIGINAL TO AN EXTENT. MY ONLY QUIBBLE IS THAT WHILE I CAN SEE IT IS WELL-CONCEIVED AND ARTFUL AND PLAYED WITH A WINNING SPIRIT, IT'S JUST NOT QUITE FOR ME! IT HAS A BIT OF A WHIFF OF QUIETUS DOT COM TO ME. LIKE, Y'KNOW, A BIT TOO SERIOUS AND REVERENTIAL FOR ITS OWN GOOD. YOU CAN ALMOST SMELL THE PERFORMED "APPRECIATION" FROM THEIR FANS. GOOD RECORD THOUGH.