Out on new label Fat Possum Records, the first new material Sunflower Bean have released since their jangling, pacey debut EP ‘Show Me Your Seven Secrets’, and self-recorded over a year ago. It’s a swirling, multi-paced rocker that begins slow and sludgy, a little like Led Zep playing the riff from ‘Children Of The Revolution’ by T-Rex, before cranking up so Kivlen – a could-be genius guitarist who in the past has been likened to everyone from Johnny Marr to Thurston Moore – can let rip at full pelt.
Sharing vocals one verse at a time, Kivlen and Cumming make a compelling front duo. There’s a definite yin-yang thing going on, with the pendulum here swinging heavily between psych wig outs and classic horror iconography Underneath it all is a sense of burgeoning songwriting prowess that suggests they know exactly how to marry compelling storytelling with giant-sized riffs
On the strength of this, it’s something Sunflower Bean should explore deeper.
The Fat Angel Sings 