BuzzChips Excellent Review of Almost Not There

Son of the Sun "Almost Not There" Review

Son of the Sun, a five-piece from Buffalo, NY have produced an excellent EP infused with vintage effects, minimalist arrangements and sincere songwriting. The musical aesthetic throughout Almost Not There maintains a level of consistency from song to song, creating a streamlined experience rather than a collection of tracks thrown together under one name.

In addition to their well-conceived retro sound, Son of the Sun plays with dissonance and harmony, a theme that can be heard both literally and figuratively in the music throughout the record (major and minor tonalities intermingling in “As Far As Lucy” or a slow, more morose song such as “Fruit Jar” injected with a buoyant bridge). This is also expressed lyrically in “10,000” as singer Zak Ward proclaims “I wanna lay down, I wanna record my dissonance” over upbeat music in the background. This juxtaposition creates an experience that stirs disparate emotions in the listener.

The arrangements are also kept to a minimum, though they produce strong and variant moods in each song. An important contributor to this is the sincerity of the lyrics, and Ward performs them dynamically with strength, vulnerability and candor.

Almost Not There provides a snapshot of a band that has a well developed sound and thoughtfully crafted songs, prompting the notion that contrary to the title of their EP, Son of the Sun has arrived.