SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: SUNSET RUBDOWN – ALWAYS HAPPY TO EXPLODE

SUNSET RUBDOWN
ALWAYS HAPPY TO EXPLODE
PRONOUNCED KROOG

It is said that the body replenishes itself every seven years, cells being reborn and in turn a sort of rebirth, and while this doesn’t hold true in that you’re literally a new human, it makes sense in that we’ve been reborn in a way. I know that I feel entirely different than I did seven years ago.

It’s been 15 years since Sunset Rubdown released any music. Growing older, getting married, having kids and spreading across the country after having ended a musical story seems pretty final. But a real-life dream frontman Spencer Krug had of this long on-pause band reuniting is all it took for Sunset Rubdown to get back at splashing weird musical colours onto canvass. Enter Always Happy to Explode, a fine return from a band I’ve thoroughly enjoyed since Shut Up I Am Dreaming. While Sunset Rubdown have evolved a lot since that beautifully quirky tapestry of madness, the foundations remain with their signature flourish of keyboards and odd song structures, along with Spencer Krug’s warble and lyrics that are vivid yet bordering on fever dreamlike, much like the album opener, “Losing Light” that plays out almost like a mysterious tale set to music. The dropping of unfamiliar names and scenarios sometimes reminds me of The Decemberists’ lyrics, whimsical and odd tales from another time.

“Reappearing Rat”, the uppity, acoustic guitar and keyboar- driven first single from Always Happy to Explode is a nod to the self-created beast in our head who likes to pin the blame on everyone but themselves when things go weird, while “Cliche Town” explores the frustrations of living in a rural town where things run a bit slower and unhinged neighbours can be especially unhinged.

“Fable Killer” is a perfectly pretty ending to this album, playing us out with reminders of age and growing up and out of old tricks, and while we’ve all aged and moved on, it’s nice to know that an old favourite band can both tap into nostalgia and remind one of their maturity.

SPILL FEATURE: ALWAYS HAPPY TO EXPLODE – A CONVERSATION WITH SPENCER KRUG OF SUNSET RUBDOWN

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