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Feb 09, 2016 Issue # 56 - Best of 2015 - Father John Misty and Wolf Alice By Marty Hill

Truth be told, it was difficult to care when a prolific SXSW put Sunflower Bean on the tongue of seemingly every critic in existence. If there's an underground music niche that isn't in need of another poster band, it's psychedelic rock. Yet on debut LP, Human Ceremony, the Brooklyn trio wrong-foot any cynics.

While the initial buzz branded them as something of a shoegaze revivalist outfit, "Come On" is more akin to Parquet Courts' collected garage rock than Slowdive's ethereal charm, and guitarist Nick Kivlen borrows more chords from John Dwyer than Andy Bell on "2013."  The haziness of the record is expertly planted too, with Kivlen and bassist Julia Cumming entwining their vocals to croon "I just don't know/my place in the world" atop a sea of guitars that sound like a heavily-reverbed Velvet Underground might on the title track. (www.sunflowerbean.bandcamp.com)

Author rating: 7/10