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When it comes to phenomenal songs, Phenomenal Sun are two-for-two. In recent months we’ve hyped the promising young Boston band’s debut singles “Gone And Alone” and “Big Eye”, songs that bring a grand fit of ’90s-era alt-rock ambition back to our playlists when we need it the most. Now, the quartet led by singer/guitarist Adam Luciano and drummer/producer Kyle Rasmussen are back with a fresh cut straight off Anngelle Wood’s latest Keep Safe Boston compilation to benefit For Everytown for Gun Safety.
The track is called “Sundrowned”, and it’s a weightless bout of fuzzy guitar-rock heaviness that hooks us right from the jump. There’s a low-end buzz to the track that propels it forward as crystalized guitarwork adds a unique spark that trades off sources that stretch back to ’60s pop.
“I hesitate to get too deep into song explanations because I truly believe that no artwork is complete until another person, the viewer or listener, perceives and engages with it, ultimately having a reaction or insights of their own,” Luciano tells Vanyaland. “I suppose it’s a cliche but think its true. I don’t want to spoil what might be a pure connection or disconnection by forcing pre-conceived notions upon the listener/viewer. Regardless, with art you always end up with this juxtaposition of what is definable and what isn’t… and I think that the meaning behind ‘Sundrowned’ falls somewhere in between.”
Luciano admits that the track was written shortly after a close friend of his passed away. As he questioned life and his role in the world, he turned to drugs and alcohol to both numb the pain and attempt a shortcut to the answer. Along the way, he cleared his own path. “I started this process of shoveling myself out of 20 years of shame and self-hatred,” he says. “I quit drinking and began digging down into the insecurities and fear that kept me from accepting the truth of who I am. I wanted to reconcile these inner and outer realities. To be purified. So I think the song was born out of this desire to ‘shine light on the shadow’ so to speak, or ‘make the subconscious conscious.’ In a sense it actually gets to the heart of what Phenomenal Sun is all about. On the surface it might seem like a love song. And that’s also true.”
The track made sense for Wood’s Keep Safe Boston comp as well, both by its lyrical nature and sound, but also due to timing. And Phenomenal Sun will be performing at the compilation’s official release party this Saturday (August 18) at UnChARTed in Lowell alongside fellow participating bands and artists Mister Vertigo, The Only Things, and Leesa Coyne & Chad Raleigh. “When we heard that Anngelle was doing another Keep Safe Boston comp we knew we wanted to get involved,” Luciano says. “Being invited to play the show at unchARTed was a surprise and we jumped at the chance!
KEEP SAFE BOSTON DIGITAL COMPILATION RELEASE SHOW :: Saturday, August 18 @ UnChARTed, 103 Market St. in Lowell, MA :: 8 p.m., all-ages, $5 :: Facebook event page :: Featured Phenomenal Sun photo by Marissa Fiorucci
