Album Review: Band Of Frequencies - Rise Like The Sun

Sunshine Coasters Band Of Frequencies are back with another album chock-full of the surfy blues and roots sound they've made themselves known for. Rise Like The Sun grooves its way along a more progressive line than previous output, but will go hand in hand with the coming summer nonetheless.

Clocking in well at well over an hour, it's a lengthy listen but one that offers just that little bit more from the foursome, enhancing their earthy blues sound that runs in the same vein as Ash Gunwald, Xavier Rudd and The Beautiful Girls. Opening track Wanderlust is truly indicative of its title; a steady beat, offbeat guitars with hazy bursts set the carefree tone, but with thoughtful changes scattered throughout. Bearded frontman Shannon Sol Carroll uses his mostly neutral but slightly gruff tone to lilt alongside the chunky bass and roots fusion guitar work in All I've Found and the sparse reggae sass in Down To Earth, before building up a bit of force in the title track, letting his pipes open up to rise above the thickening roots breakout. It's a combination that works; it's a highly-textured sound so busy that a scene-stealing vocal could get a bit ungainly. That's not to say that Carroll's chops aren't capable of lulling into the limelight, dulcetly crooning in the even-paced and lightly rolling percussion of Beyond The Sky and Golden, which brims with hazy guitars and Queensland summer references.

It's a well-travelled road but roads are well-travelled for a reason, right? They're usually familiar, scenic, enjoyable and you come home feeling good about life. There's nothing to complain about there and there's very little to gripe about here.