SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: SUUNS – THE BREAKS

SUUNS
THE BREAKS
JOYFUL NOISE RECORDINGS

SUNNS are based in Montreal, and consist of Ben Shemie, Joseph Yarmush, and Liam O’Neill. The Breaks is their sixth studio album and their first since 2021’s The Witness. Since 2010, the band has always tried to break new ground with each album. During the years to write and record the album, the band continued to explore and decided to see what they could do with loops, synths, samples and MIDI instruments. They also incorporated auto tune, and the end result is The Breaks.

Musically and lyrically the album is on the depressing side. For example, on the song “Overture”, lead vocalist Shemie sings “We bummed a ride on dead end streets/And lost our way on the road to Mecca.” This is sung to an almost angelic choir backing which gives way to some grinding guitars and bass. It is a jarring song, which was no doubt SUUNS intention. Whereas a song like “Fish On A String” has a slow groove and sparse backing.

O’Neill produced the album, and given the change in direction the band has decided to go, he has provided a palette for the members to create some interesting sounds. A song like “Doreen” seems to be a straightforward love song. But, with SUUNS, nothing is straightforward. It is sparse, and almost desperate at times. And then there are moments on the album, such as “Road Signs And Meanings” that is a beautiful piano-based song with some rather emotional and powerful vocals.

The Breaks finds SUUNS trying something different. It doesn’t always work but they deserve a great deal of credit for exploring and trying to expand their sound. There are a lot of great songs collected here and overall, it is a great album. SUUNS created an album that is probably not what fans were expecting, but it does show that the band is not only willing but eager to grow and find new directions.

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