| Sugar Candy Mountain — Do Right (May 4, 2018) |
Sugar Candy Mountain — Do Right (May 4, 2018)
♠♣♠ Oakland~based neo~psychedelic pop outfit led by Will Halsey and Ash Reiter.
♠♣♠ Part travelogue, part response to the current, turbulent climate, “Do Right” gives voice to the deeply nested anxiety of modern times attempting to offer a balm. Nature, it seems, is where the band often goes to calibrate it’s moral compass so frequently upended by the daily news-cycle. Sugar Candy Mountain invites you to join them on this journey singing “There’s a quiet place I go when I need to find my way/ There’s a quiet place inside/ Come on in just knock and a door will open”. Musically, the band remains rooted in 60’s and 70’s rock, with their signature honey sweet vocals. “Do Right” leans more heavily on synthesizer than the band’s previous records, lending the album a more modern feel. The album pairs the ephemeral orchestral arrangements of The Beach Boys with the pop sensibility of George Harrison on “All Things Must Pass”. Oscillating between the hazy psychedelic pop of Mild High Club, the driving energy of Dungen and the danceable familiarity of The Supremes, “Do Right” is a perfect cocktail of old and new, imploring the listener to take a ride into the sunset with Sugar Candy Mountain.
Location: Oakland, California
Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Dream Pop
Album release: May 4, 2018
Record Label: People In A Position To Know
Duration: 38:46
Tracks:
01. Split In Two 2:42
02. Crystalline 4:29
03. This Time Around 4:19
04. Happening 4:17
05. Quiet Place 4:47
06. Mar~a~Lago 3:01
07. Tidal Wave 3:51
08. Losing Myself 3:48
09. Stickeen 2:20
10. Do You Know the Place? 5:12
℗ 2018 PIAPTK & Sugar Candy Mountain
Written by
♣♦• Will Halsey / Ash Reiter
Similar to: Montero, Salvia Plath, Morgan Delt, Foxygen, Levitation Room, Melody’s Echo Chamber.
Personnel:
♦•♣ Ash Reiter — vocals/guitar
♦•♣ Will Halsey — vocals/drums
♦•♣ Sean Olmstead — guitar/synth
♦•♣ Jeff Moller — Bass
Credits:
≡˜≡ Matt Adams Guitar
≡˜≡ Alex Curran Layout
≡˜≡ Thomas Edler Vibraphone
≡˜≡ Connor Gallaher Pedal Steel
≡˜≡ Will Halsey Bass, Composer, Drums, Guitar, Keyboards, Producer, Vocals
≡˜≡ Sivan Lioncub Violin
≡˜≡ Peter Maffei Keyboards
≡˜≡ Joe Santa Maria Sax (Baritone)
≡˜≡ Sean Olmstead Guitar
≡˜≡ Matt Popieluch Vocals
≡˜≡ Jason Quever Bass, Guitar, Keyboards, Mixing, Producer
≡˜≡ Ash Reiter Bass, Composer, Guitar, Keyboards, Producer, Vocals
≡˜≡ Timothy Stollenwerk Mastering
≡˜≡ Jess Willa Wheaton Artwork
AllMusic Review by Timothy Monger; Score: ****
≡˜≡ Integrating lush chamber~psych arrangements with a cornucopia of breezy vintage pop inspirations, Oakland’s Sugar Candy Mountain maintain their sunny West Coast feel on Do Right, their follow~up to 2016’s provocatively titled but otherwise amiable 666. Working once again with Papercuts’ Jason Quever as producer, co~frontpeople Ash Reiter and Will Halsey turn their thematic gaze toward a more turbulent and divided world, offering paeans to anxious times in the guise of Pacific~toned, distinctively Californian pop. In the face of political and social unrest, Do Right seems to steer toward meditative affirmations and the wholesome appeal of the natural world. ≡˜≡ Assimilating the musical flavor and titular concept of the Beach Boys’ “Let’s Go Away for Awhile,” songs like “Quiet Place” and “Do You Know the Place?” touch on themes of both physical and mental escapism, keeping the darkness (mostly) at bay with woozy orchestrated pop arrangements and hushed vocal melodies. A greater emphasis on both synthesizers and more synthetic~sounding textures gives the album a more contemporary feel than earlier Sugar Candy Mountain releases, further adding to the moody undertones roiling beneath calm waters. Standout cut “Happening” pairs an appealingly clever melodic structure with a sort of grim urgency, its chorus intoning “We haven’t much time/So do what you like/The world isn’t waiting.” Having spent a number of years resting their sound within the tranquility of tropicalia and bright ‘60s West Coast pop, it’s nice to hear Halsey and Reiter shouldering the responsibility of weightier substance on this strong outing. ≡˜≡ https://www.allmusic.com/
About:
≡˜≡ Helping to spearhead a revival of neo~psychedelic pop, California’s Sugar Candy Mountain fuses sunny, retro sounds with lush, sophisticated composition. The band initially began in 2010 as the recording project of Oakland~based musician Will Halsey. From early on, his partnership with collaborator Ash Reiter yielded a unique sound blending classic ‘60s West Coast psychedelia with pastoral folk and pulling inspiration from pop experimentalists like Brazil’s Os Mutantes, the Flaming Lips, and Brian Wilson. The band’s self~titled 2011 debut drew largely from Halsey’s early, more lo~fi recordings. By the time of 2013’s Mystic Hits, Sugar Candy Mountain had evolved into a fully fledged live group with Halsey and Reiter at the helm. The album also expanded on their Brazilian influences and was partially recorded in São Paulo. For their follow~up, they recorded in San Francisco with Papercuts frontman Jason Quever. The album, 666, arrived in the summer of 2016 via PIAPTK Records. Working again with Quever, Sugar Candy Mountain took a more modern approach with 2018’s Do Right, layering in vibrant synths alongside their more organic instrumentation. ~ Timothy Monger
Label: http://piaptk.limitedrun.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sugarcandymountain/
_____________________________________________________________
| Sugar Candy Mountain — Do Right (May 4, 2018) |
♠♣♠ Part travelogue, part response to the current, turbulent climate, “Do Right” gives voice to the deeply nested anxiety of modern times attempting to offer a balm. Nature, it seems, is where the band often goes to calibrate it’s moral compass so frequently upended by the daily news-cycle. Sugar Candy Mountain invites you to join them on this journey singing “There’s a quiet place I go when I need to find my way/ There’s a quiet place inside/ Come on in just knock and a door will open”. Musically, the band remains rooted in 60’s and 70’s rock, with their signature honey sweet vocals. “Do Right” leans more heavily on synthesizer than the band’s previous records, lending the album a more modern feel. The album pairs the ephemeral orchestral arrangements of The Beach Boys with the pop sensibility of George Harrison on “All Things Must Pass”. Oscillating between the hazy psychedelic pop of Mild High Club, the driving energy of Dungen and the danceable familiarity of The Supremes, “Do Right” is a perfect cocktail of old and new, imploring the listener to take a ride into the sunset with Sugar Candy Mountain.
Location: Oakland, California
Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Dream Pop
Album release: May 4, 2018
Record Label: People In A Position To Know
Duration: 38:46
Tracks:
01. Split In Two 2:42
02. Crystalline 4:29
03. This Time Around 4:19
04. Happening 4:17
05. Quiet Place 4:47
06. Mar~a~Lago 3:01
07. Tidal Wave 3:51
08. Losing Myself 3:48
09. Stickeen 2:20
10. Do You Know the Place? 5:12
℗ 2018 PIAPTK & Sugar Candy Mountain
Written by
♣♦• Will Halsey / Ash Reiter
Similar to: Montero, Salvia Plath, Morgan Delt, Foxygen, Levitation Room, Melody’s Echo Chamber.
Personnel:
♦•♣ Ash Reiter — vocals/guitar
♦•♣ Will Halsey — vocals/drums
♦•♣ Sean Olmstead — guitar/synth
♦•♣ Jeff Moller — Bass
Credits:
≡˜≡ Matt Adams Guitar
≡˜≡ Alex Curran Layout
≡˜≡ Thomas Edler Vibraphone
≡˜≡ Connor Gallaher Pedal Steel
≡˜≡ Will Halsey Bass, Composer, Drums, Guitar, Keyboards, Producer, Vocals
≡˜≡ Sivan Lioncub Violin
≡˜≡ Peter Maffei Keyboards
≡˜≡ Joe Santa Maria Sax (Baritone)
≡˜≡ Sean Olmstead Guitar
≡˜≡ Matt Popieluch Vocals
≡˜≡ Jason Quever Bass, Guitar, Keyboards, Mixing, Producer
≡˜≡ Ash Reiter Bass, Composer, Guitar, Keyboards, Producer, Vocals
≡˜≡ Timothy Stollenwerk Mastering
≡˜≡ Jess Willa Wheaton Artwork
AllMusic Review by Timothy Monger; Score: ****
≡˜≡ Integrating lush chamber~psych arrangements with a cornucopia of breezy vintage pop inspirations, Oakland’s Sugar Candy Mountain maintain their sunny West Coast feel on Do Right, their follow~up to 2016’s provocatively titled but otherwise amiable 666. Working once again with Papercuts’ Jason Quever as producer, co~frontpeople Ash Reiter and Will Halsey turn their thematic gaze toward a more turbulent and divided world, offering paeans to anxious times in the guise of Pacific~toned, distinctively Californian pop. In the face of political and social unrest, Do Right seems to steer toward meditative affirmations and the wholesome appeal of the natural world. ≡˜≡ Assimilating the musical flavor and titular concept of the Beach Boys’ “Let’s Go Away for Awhile,” songs like “Quiet Place” and “Do You Know the Place?” touch on themes of both physical and mental escapism, keeping the darkness (mostly) at bay with woozy orchestrated pop arrangements and hushed vocal melodies. A greater emphasis on both synthesizers and more synthetic~sounding textures gives the album a more contemporary feel than earlier Sugar Candy Mountain releases, further adding to the moody undertones roiling beneath calm waters. Standout cut “Happening” pairs an appealingly clever melodic structure with a sort of grim urgency, its chorus intoning “We haven’t much time/So do what you like/The world isn’t waiting.” Having spent a number of years resting their sound within the tranquility of tropicalia and bright ‘60s West Coast pop, it’s nice to hear Halsey and Reiter shouldering the responsibility of weightier substance on this strong outing. ≡˜≡ https://www.allmusic.com/
About:
≡˜≡ Helping to spearhead a revival of neo~psychedelic pop, California’s Sugar Candy Mountain fuses sunny, retro sounds with lush, sophisticated composition. The band initially began in 2010 as the recording project of Oakland~based musician Will Halsey. From early on, his partnership with collaborator Ash Reiter yielded a unique sound blending classic ‘60s West Coast psychedelia with pastoral folk and pulling inspiration from pop experimentalists like Brazil’s Os Mutantes, the Flaming Lips, and Brian Wilson. The band’s self~titled 2011 debut drew largely from Halsey’s early, more lo~fi recordings. By the time of 2013’s Mystic Hits, Sugar Candy Mountain had evolved into a fully fledged live group with Halsey and Reiter at the helm. The album also expanded on their Brazilian influences and was partially recorded in São Paulo. For their follow~up, they recorded in San Francisco with Papercuts frontman Jason Quever. The album, 666, arrived in the summer of 2016 via PIAPTK Records. Working again with Quever, Sugar Candy Mountain took a more modern approach with 2018’s Do Right, layering in vibrant synths alongside their more organic instrumentation. ~ Timothy Monger
Label: http://piaptk.limitedrun.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sugarcandymountain/
_____________________________________________________________