The Sonic Dawn

Into the Long Night

Written by: BV on 03/07/2017 09:36:26

The Sonic Dawn have been quite fascinating to me for a while now. Their debut album “Perception” was a quite cool trip and a very cohesive album in its own right. It displayed an aptitude for beautifully unfolding soundscapes and a pop-sensibility combined with a musical knowledge one only gets from years of crate-digging for those super obscure records you can get all sorts of otherworldly inspiration from. With their sophomore album, “Into the Long Night”, this perception of the band is about to increase tenfold.

Opening with a cool sonic collage as an intro before fading into the track “Emily Lemon”, one could say the band has developed an even stronger affinity for creating cohesive albums. “Emily Lemon” is a classic 60’s sounding jangle-rock tune with beautifully glistening guitar sounds, a vibrant and upbeat bass and those sweet vintage-sounding drums you simply have to love if you’re into this type of music. The lyrics are intelligent and written in a quite fascinating narrative which immediately draws me in – and by extension making me note how clear the connection is between the musical side and the lyrical side of the music. The story of the track unfolds in a way that sounds breezy, effortless and cool - exactly as something of this particular vibe should sound like.

“As of Lately” has the feel of a surf-infused psychedelic hit and thereby contains all the elements you’d come to expect of it. Fuzzy guitar hooks, a catchy, energetic beat and those sweet, sweet backup vocals complementing the already powerful voice of vocalist/guitarist Emil Bureau. For the record it should also be noted that both the drums and the percussion on this track are a testament to the tightness of Jonas Waaben’s drumming skills.

“L’Espion” in turn sounds like the soundtrack to vintage spy-flick complete with that sweet and alluring vibraphone atop the vastly jazzy soundscape. It’s immensely chilled out and, once more, really well-composed overall. In this case it is most certainly a shining example of musical diversity on an album, without compromising the cohesiveness overall. The same goes for the epically unfolding “Summer Voyage” which, to be fair, does sound quite a bit like a reimagined “The End” by The Doors for the first few minutes. However, as it unfolds, it becomes the ultimate testament to the band members’ interplay with Niels Fuglede’s bass-playing becoming the stable and groovy foundation upon which both the freaky and mesmerizing guitar sounds and the hypnotic drums come to life.

“Into the Long Night” is a genuine trip. It’s pure, not exactly simple yet still accessible – like the vibe you’d get from albums from established acts of the 60’s just when they went freaky and psychedelic without it hurting their pop-sensibility or their overall sales. The Sonic Dawn is the sound of psychedelic rock in fusion with a modern songwriting sensibility and an ear for catchy tunes. If you’re into that sort of thing, you’ll be all over “Into the Long Night”.

Download: Emily Lemon, L’Espion, Numbers Blue, Summer Voyage
For The Fans Of: Strawberry Alarm Clock, West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, Quicksilver Messenger Service, The Entrance Band
Listen: facebook.com

Release date 21.04.2017
Heavy Psych Sounds


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