On their 2021 LP ‘Let There Be Light’, alternative rock band Sun Atoms shared some great music. That record’s quieter and more downbeat moments blended elements of goth pop with a very retro guitar twang, often falling somewhere between the classic, introspective songwriting of Leonard Cohen and the more contemporary moods of Tindersticks. When approaching busier sounds, the material mixed light electronica with spoken word passages. With other moments utilising muted trumpets and very retro sounding backing vocals, the album created a pleasingly varied listening experience.

This slightly overdue second album improves on that at almost every turn. Its nine tracks still immerse the listener in a world of sounds that draw influence from various aspects of 90s alternative rock, but with a pinch of goth, darkwave synth-based sounds, and some slightly looser stylistic boundaries, it’s a record that ventures much deeper to bring great melodies.

The opening track ‘Take This Love’ immediately catches the ear when heavy drums collide with semi-atonal bleeps of synth, set on a huge loop with the aid of sequencers. In seconds, the band takes the listener back to a world of 80s goth, but dresses a familiar sound with a more challenging array of riffs. As the drums and keys pummel an incessant rhythm, the vocal sets about adding something strangely dramatic. Fairly quickly, a semi-spoken and rather dour tone offers a much bigger atmospheric pull, before a repeated refrain centring around the title creates an incessant hook. In some ways, this would be enough to make a retro goth tune hold up, but Peter Holmstrom and his assembled band aren’t about to leave things there. A brighter harmony vocal supplied by Alison Green brings more of a feeling of positivity without adding too much that’s obviously more commercial, whilst occasional bursts of guitar add something more a little more human. It’s cold and sometimes affronting, but in terms of style, this is a genuine post punk/goth/alternative treat.

Providing an even more interesting twist on the Sun Atoms sound, ‘Idiot Speaker’ places a heavily percussive rhythm beneath Spanish sounding acoustic guitars, immediately setting up something a little more atmospheric. The melody grows to include layers of goth-tinged electric guitar work which fill bridge sections between a very hushed vocal. Other than claiming some rather glib “retro alternative” tag, Sun Atoms make their work very hard to categorise here, and their voyage into smart, dark sounds is never less than enthralling. The subtle interplay between the guitar and the bass is just as interesting as the track’s cymbal free drumming, and a late introduction of odd synth work really reinforces this number’s strange qualities. Taking a pinch of funk, a swathe of pop and an arthouse mindset, the groove laden ‘Narco Polo’ (featuring Isaac Brock) applies a near spoken vocal to a repetitious rhythm. Over the dominating drums and voice, a reverbed guitar can be heard weaving different sonic shapes; the guitar work is always about tone rather than an easy melody, but with the help of an anchoring bass, everything hits upon a very natural flow. The tune itself sounds as if it were inspired by an early 80s Talking Heads jam, whilst the vocal seems to hint at something that’s unexpectedly derived from an experimental Godley & Creme piece like ‘The Party’. Once everything fits together, its easy to hear Sun Atoms working their musical magic, and the funk melodies eventually become some of the album’s strongest.

Turning even further towards an art pop sound, ‘Bus Stop Gospel’ presents male and female vocals with a jangling indie guitar, suggesting something traditional and very 90s, before offsetting everything with mariachi horns and a more angular sound. After a few bars to settle in, it becomes very clear that Holmstrom is the driving force here, since there’s a lot about this track that feels like an artier callback to The Dandy Warhols. It is, perhaps, one of the album’s more accessible numbers for the first time listener, despite its busy style. It’s certainly a track that sounds even better after each successive play. Aside from sharing a similar vocal in places, ‘Mandatory’ could be the work of a different band with its reggae rhythm and heavy beat, but approached as a stand alone piece, it sounds like a great tribute to 80s and 90s art rock, and once the heavy snare drum kicks in coupled with subtly mixed jazz sax, it also shows off the Sun Atoms’ gift for a great arrangement.

In addition to those great songs, you’ll also find the epic ‘Ceiling Tiles’, which was previously released digitally alongside a brilliant cover of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Tower of Song’. In terms of showcasing Sun Atoms with an expansive retro-alternative sound, this track has it all. Against a pulsing bass, a quiet-ish vocal adds a very 80s atmosphere, and a clean-ish twanged guitar lays an intermittent melody that has a different kind of retro feel. It’s all good, but everything really comes together on the instrumental sections, especially at the point where you might expect to find a chorus. There, a broader guitar sound adds a ringing tone, and the programmed beats cut through with a real sharpness. There’s a very late 80s heart beating strongly, but Sun Atoms make their throwback sound feel fresh due to a great arrangement, and with the help of a really sharp production sound. If anything sticks here, though, its the number’s concession to an alternative groove that’s almost danceable – like a blend of peak Sisters of Mercy colliding with a dark synthpop band. For fans of the band’s previous recordings, there’s a familiar warmth amid the moodiness, but the more direct and slightly rockier approach certainly lifts everything in a way that makes Sun Atoms feel just a little more accessible. Overall, this is a great track; aloof enough not to feel commercial, yet commercial enough to have the potential to attract a slightly broader audience than before.

The pair of pre-released singles more than suggested that this disc from Sun Atoms would be the band’s most epic work to date, but neither hinted at the variety found within, or that listeners would get to stumble upon something as great as ‘Idiot Speaker’ or as weirdly catchy as ‘Narco Polo’. There’s a wealth of experimentation at the heart of the record’s eight songs; a willingness to try absolutely anything to see what sticks. It’s to Sun Atoms’ eternal credit – and talent – that despite a variety of styles and a whole world of musical experimentation, they’ve still managed to deliver an album that feels incredibly satisfying. A highly recommended listen.

October-December 2024