Of all the artists we’ve covered recently, City of the Sun has the most crossover potential. Their brand of rock is easily accessible, pairing the languid feel of the desert southwest with the adventure of the California coast. The “Angeles” visualizer showcases a famous desert rock formation. Now here’s the surprise: the quartet hails from Brooklyn.
The title of the band’s first album, To the Sun and All the Cities In Between, is the unifying link. The latest album title, Under the Moon, draws a bow around a decade of existence. This is music for people in any place who dream about being in another. It is also music for travel: for being lost in the journey as the landscapes pass by.
Apart from one vocal piece, the LP is mostly instrumental. “Un Disparo al Corazón” is neither a Ricky Martin cover nor a reference to the Bon Jovi song; instead, it’s a slow-peeling number that seems like the opening of a spaghetti western, the camera slowly passing over the rolling plains until it lands on a single horseman or a frontier town. Those who enjoy the music of Red Dead Redemption will find plenty to appreciate here, as will fans of Explosions in the Sky – although deeper in the set, City of the Sun will move from post-rock to the heart of rock and roll.
“London” is one of the most accessible cuts, casting the quartet as a band with a world view. The riffs are memorable, some even transforming into choruses. “Hotel Alma” has a Spanish flair; but by “Angeles,” it’s back to the wide open spaces, the prairie beneath the hooves. In “Saw You in a Dream,” the horses begin to gallop, pausing only to munch on grass. We’d recommend it for the next single, save for the fact that eight have already been released: one more than were released from Thriller. “War” is another upbeat number, with a memorable melody and bassline. Deep in the set, “Ella” (pronounced “eyya,” the track’s only word) injects a late dose of funk.
From the American Southwest around the world and back again: if Clint Eastwood had played James Bond, this album might have been his OST. (Richard Allen)
a closer listen 