Sunday at Two - Comfortable (Single Review)
With a crunchy bass tone, extended guitar solos, pounding drums, and a swagger of arrogance and introspection. Sunday at Two offer something a little edgier to the table than the usual ilk of indie newcomers.
Another addition to the pantheon of high octane indie-rock bands from Hull. Although still early in their lifespan, it's clear that Sunday at Two are wanting to solidify themselves on the grittier end of that spectrum. With a crunchy bass tone, extended guitar solos, pounding drums, and a swagger of arrogance and introspection. They offer something a little edgier to the table than the usual ilk of indie newcomers.
Although Comfortable is a reasonably solid and successful debut, it is unfortunately littered with some errors of judgment. Most noticeably in the decision to artificially increase volume, with what sounds like some lackluster compression, in addition to a low-end heavy mix which washes out the presence of the guitars. This makes for an unbalanced mix with something to be desired.
Although in-your-face may be what the band is aiming for, I would recommend that they place trust in the fact that the listener can decide how loud they want the song on their end, that way the sonic quality and crisp production will result in the true punch of the track (which is hidden beneath a claustrophobic mist of low-end sound) remaining intact. This is especially clear when I decided to listen to Sunday at Two in succession with local powerhouses New Meds and Life. Who because of a clearer and less compressed mix have considerably more dynamic impact and remain comfortable at louder volumes, even though they are more aggressive musically.
Sunday at Two are certainly confident with their musical composition and I can see that Robert has the potential to hone his vocal delivery into a grittier timbre than most are used to with their indie-rock. With some sporadically good pop hooks (although the chorus is bit awkward and clunky in terms of both rhyme and meter) and honesty in the lyrical reflection of his own ego, it's at least respectable to see what could easily be a Catfish and the Bottlemen clone attempt something a bit edgier. Calling himself both "Detestable", a "Liar" and proclaiming he is "Comfortable in my discomfort". Maybe he's being cathartic and getting some things off his chest in an aggressive and honest manner; or maybe he's being sarcastic and ironic, it is unclear. I certainly appreciate any writer who places his own vices on a plate for introspection and its a sign of a writer maturing.
I'm sure once they reach their first birthday and beyond they will begin to really craft out their niche as being more volatile than The Vida Cult but still keeping enough pop sensibilities to stay in the realm of indie. Lest they end up on the same bill and in comparison to much smarter, creative, and gut-busting punk/post-punk bands.
Overall, despite my heavy critique on production, it is a solid enough debut that will present itself better live than in recording and they hold enough potential and raw energy to place themselves on your and my radar.
3/5 - for fans of The Matchbox, Follow Deep, Faux Pas, The Vida Cult.
Check them out on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/track/6NLJO9wckQSHa3GibPas3n
Check them out on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sundayattwoband/