Friday, May 25, 2018

Music Review:
Sonny Elliot
"Under Covers"


https://sonnyelliot.bandcamp.com/album/under-covers


I'm not really sure what other people do when it comes to reviews because I don't really go to other sites and see what they say about music.   Some people find that strange but it's just who I am.  I spend a decent amount of time though researching a new artist when I hear them for the first time, mainly because I want to know what they're about.  People (sometimes even the artist themselves) might send me a link straight to Bandcamp or their own website but I'll still do a search just to see what else is out there because it's part of being a writer I guess.

If you google Sonny Elliot- whether you do so with one or two t's- you will stumble upon a lot of articles about a weatherman from Detroit.    The fact that sites about Sonny Elliot and the "Under Covers" EP don't come up right away intrigues me, as it feels like we have to do some digging to get to the bottom of this (Though a Bandcamp search will take you to this EP no problem)   In some weird way, I feel like this is a sign of things to come on this EP, for the sound of Sonny Elliot.

"Under Covers" as a title makes me think less of someone sleeping and more of this being a collection of cover songs but alas these are four originals from Sonny Elliot.    The titular track is blissed out dreamy rock which has lyrics that make you sing along on the second listen and, well, in that way it does feel like a cover as it's one of those instantly likeable songs it just makes you feel like you've heard it before.

"Without You" reminds me more of Madonna somehow and though it is dark (hence the title) is doesn't fail to crank out that sax, which I find to simply be cool.    "One Day With You", which is interesting in contrast to the title which came before it, brings out these dreamy guitar riffs ala Duncan Sheik or The Cure (Think "Whenever I'm alone... with you...")   Although, in fairness, the song "One Day With You" seems like a love song, obviously, but also a sort of tragic love song.    So it is, much like the song before it, somewhat dark and sad.

"Hold On" could easily be a Wilson Phillips cover but it has a much darker feel, as he admits he's not letting go.    That smooth sax also returns in this final song and this just has so much diversity to it and yet at the same time it doesn't.   It's dreamy rock with the occasional saxophone, but much like Sonny Elliot the musical artist and Sonny Elliott the weatherman, there are such differences.    It's that idea that even as those "Stranger Things" sounding synth tones come out at the end, you may never truly know this music.

No comments:

Post a Comment