Album Review: Sleepy Sun - Spine Hits

It's a difficult obstacle for a band to overcome when an integral member leaves – more so when they offer much of the vocal input. For San Francisco psych rockers Sleepy Sun, the departure of Rachel Fannan has not deterred them, and they've since produced third longplayer Spine Hits. Unfortunately for the five-piece, the change has brought about a change in direction, which severely hamstrings what made them impressive in the first place.

Things bode well with opening track Stivey Pond, a rolling groove. Elsewhere Siouxsie Blaqq proffers the requisite groove, and Creature comes across like early Jane's Addiction, complete with Bret Constantino channelling Perry Farrell.  Yet Martyr's Mantra, which goes for the same tack with added percussion, falls flat, feeling hokey and cumbersome. It's surprising that the now all-male line-up with the same aesthetic (Fannan didn't write) have chosen to pare back these rock mantras in favour of a fuller sound that seems replete of purposeful intent.  Yellow End is a conservative rocker that veers on the side of boredom, whilst Deep War is a middle-of-the-road neo-folk number, something that contemporaries like Black Mountain would have infused with mystery and menace. She Rex works at first, but its punchiness gives way to a structure more akin to second-tier '90s Britpop acts than sun-blasted psychedelia – and it fails to fire. Boat Trip, meanwhile, cures insomnia.

Spine Hits is the best sounding album Sleepy Sun have produced, but the spit and polish has rubbed out some of the dusty abandon that made previous albums Embrace and Fever so attractive. The absence of Fannan means there is no counterpoint, and their originality has dissipated accordingly.