Drawing inspiration from a vast pool of influences such as Black Sabbath and The Cure, Sunflower Bean refine their sound and take it to the next level on Human Ceremony. It is a crystalline, bright, sparkling record, tipping its cap to the likes of The Vaselines, The Velvet Underground, The Feelies, and more, loaded with an innate artfulness that belies the band's young age: all three members are under 21. Written in drummer Jacob Faber's basement in Long Island - where the band got its start back in high school - and recorded in Brooklyn with producer Matt Molnar (Friends), Human Ceremony's 11 tracks came together in just seven days. Having leapt out of the gate as a formidable live band, Sunflower Bean's incomparable stage energy settles perfectly into the grooves of its finely crafted debut album. From the cascading guitar riffs in album opener "Human Ceremony," to the surging "Come On," to Cumming's gliding, sky-high harmonies on "Easier Said" and more, on Human Ceremony, Sunflower Bean's spell is cast. The result is one of the best debuts you will hear in 2016.
J**W
Dreamy jangle pop fun
Formed in Brooklyn in 2013, Sunflower Bean, the hardest working band in New York state, released last year an acclaimed EP, Show Me Your Seven Secrets.This debut album, Human Ceremony, co-produced by the band and Matthew Molnar, delivers on that initial promise.A heady mix of psychedelic harmonies, 80s tinged jangle pop, and straight ahead power pop, it features a host of great tunes, high quality instrumentation, and delicious vocals.What marks them out as future stars, other than their striking physical appearance (singer and bassist Julia Cumming, 19, has modeled for Yves Saint Laurent, while 20 year old Nick Kivlen bears more than a passing resemblance to the young Bob Dylan), is the power and confidence in their delivery of the material.The lyrics are winsome, and varied in their subject matter (2013, replete with sound effects, covers science fiction, while I Was Home discusses wasting days doing nothing).This is a highly polished record, with none of the false starts and missteps often associated with debut albums.Buy it.
L**E
Great music
Only recently got to know this band by chance when listening to the radio. Liked what I heard, so decided to buy a couple of their CD's to listen to at my leisure I like them very much, refreshing to listen to. Glad I bought.
D**Z
Great stuff!
I’ve only taken one star off..... Great LP let down by the wrong coloured vinyl arriving, despite assurances from Amazon CS of its colour.
D**T
Five Stars
A breathtaking debut from a band who are going to be huge.
M**S
Highly recomm
A very underrated group, this cd is wonderful. They have a distinct sound, most unlike the normal "run of the mill" bands pedalled by the media.
J**P
Great album
Bought the album following their high ranking in the NME's Best 50 Albums of 2016 list, absolutely love it.
A**R
Great indie pop!
Fab indie pop/rock album- loads of great melodies.
M**N
Five Stars
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