Moon Duo Releases Third Album Ahead of Boston Show
Keely Chisholm ’17 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
San Francisco-formed Moon Duo are back with their third full-length album. Consisting of guitarist Erik Johnson (whom fans might know from Wooden Shijps), keyboardist Sanae Yamada, and last year’s addition of drummer John Jeffrey, the band has put out another dose of their mix of classic rock and 21st century production that fans have come to know and love.
Following 2011’s Mazes and 2012’s Circles, Shadow of the Sun builds on the familiar tracks laid out by their previous albums. The album progresses on surreal melodies and riffs layered over a dependable drum and bass line that sounds straight out of the early rock music of the American 1960s. It’s up here that the risks are taken and a degree of uniqueness is established, this that keeps every song from sounding the same the whole way through.
The album flows with virtually no effort at all, all nine tracks coming together to create a cohesive effort. It exudes a “fuzzy” sort of quality, a haze that blankets every song in its own way, but even with the fuzziness, there’s a feeling of some kind of movement in each track.
“Wilding” opens the album sounding very much like the opening track from Circles. It’s a good way to ease into the album, though long-term fans might think it too similar.
“Night Beat” has an improvisational quality to it, something unpredictable to contrast with the constancy of the underlying beat. At just over six minutes long, though, some might not have the patience to wait and see what the next surprise guitar or keyboard section will bring.
“Free the Skull” brings to mind something a garage band of middle-school rockers might play, the chord progression simple and repetitive and almost textbook classic rock.
“Zero” brings in the keyboard early, with a haunting progression that comes back every so often in between the faded vocals. The whole song feels like it’s a buildup to something, though what that something is is debatable. It might be the brief few seconds after the two-minute mark without drums, or the end, or perhaps it’s the next song.
“In A Cloud” is a welcome mid-album break from the up-tempo frenzy of the first half. If every album has to have an obligatory “driving song,” this is Shadow of the Sun’s. This one’s for the open highway or the desert just after the sun has set and the sky is turning dark.
“Thieves” picks up the pace again, with a base that brings out the aforementioned feeling of movement probably the most out of any song on the album. There’s a sense of getting somewhere, or at least trying to.
“Slow Down Low” does exactly what the title says: slows down. It’s not to the same degree of “In A Cloud”, but on the heels of the almost frenetic “Thieves,” it keeps the album from picking up too much metaphorical speed as it nears the end.
“Ice” shows the most overt electronic influence—perhaps this is what makes this the most “danceable” track. But, the same unpredictable guitar melodies pop up seemingly at random, keeping it in familiar territory.
“Animal” closes out the album with a feeling of urgency, as though even the song knows this is the end, and doesn’t let up until the abrupt finish.
It’s not an album for the vocally-oriented—the main focus seems to be instrumentation, which works well. But lyrics don’t stand out, feeling almost like they’ve been faded into the woodwork.
Overall, Shadow of the Sun feels like a throwback to when rock and roll was just beginning; it feels vintage in a modern sense. Instrument-driven and lively, it’s an interesting combination of old and new that’s sure to appeal to many.
Moon Duo will be touring the U.S. in March and Europe/the U.K. in April and May. Don’t miss them when they make their way to Boston this weekend.