Recent Reviews

March 2024

February 2024

January 2024

December 2023

November 2023

[ More Music Reviews ]


Sunshine Riot: A Fresh Bottle & A Brand New Day
Sunshine Riot A Fresh Bottle & A Brand New Day CD Album Review

Sunshine Riot: A Fresh Bottle & A Brand New Day

Indie/Alt/Classic Rock
3.0/5.0

In some sense, it's hard to put a finger on Sunshine Riot's sound, the particular genre. Reading that one sentence will probably make the band smile. Conversely, it's not all that difficult as Sunshine Riot blends bits of country, punk, Americana, and classic rock to create their not so off the beaten path melodic rock.

Sunshine Riot A Fresh Bottle & A Brand New Day Band Photo

Sunshine Riot: it's bright sunshiny day.

Of first note, A Fresh Bottle & A Brand New Day, despite what is says on their website, is not a new album; it's two years old. I only discovered this as I began writing. (And, yes, I feel a bit duped as there's no copyright date on the CD.) Normally, I wouldn't bother with material this old, but since my fingers are tapping away, I might as well continue.

One of the first things I noticed about the album was the clarity of production, being crisp and clean, significant for a DIY project. The next thing that caught my attention was Jonny O's raspy but soulful vocal delivery. After these things, it's definitely Sunshine Riot's sound like the punk side of Senorita Punk or the light country flavor of Norfolk County Jail or Natural Causes.

Mostly, the songs make you feel like they have one foot firmly planted in modern alt rock and the other in classic rock spanning the late Sixties to early Seventies. Alternatively, I also could not help feeling that the music sounded worn, dated and even lifeless. Songs such as Natural Causes, Cotton Fever, and Sweet Kerosene seem to drag along like a pair of old boots pulled by a hayseed toddler on a dusty dirt road. But then there's the praise the band gets for their live performances. Maybe the best place for these songs is not in your CD player but in a pub or small venue, where the band can stretch, rock out as it were. If I had my druthers, I think the only time I'd like to hear these songs again is in that context.


Sunshine Riot - Natural Causes





CraigHartranft.net - New fiction, crime fiction by Craig Hartranft

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

In Short

Sunshine Riot blends bits of country, punk, Americana, and classic rock to create their not so off the beaten path melodic rock.

Find A Review

Alphabetical Index

a b c d e f g h i j
k l m n o p q r s t
u v w x y z #
New & Notable
Read the Lords Of Black: Mechanics Of Predacity Album Review

Once more we return to multi-national band Lords Of Black which features Ronnie Romero (v), Dani Criado (b), Jo Nunez (d), and founder, guitarist, and principal songwriter Tony Hernando. After a three year ... [ Read More ]