ALBUM REVIEW: An Earlier Time – Sundrifter
Not since the 1990s has the global stoner rock scene been as fertile as it is now. The sub-genre of ‘desert rock’, largely considered to have been created with the release of KYUSS‘ 1994 masterpiece Welcome To Sky Valley, has if anything become the more commercial face of this kind of music, bringing a cooler, fuzzier and less retro attitude to proceedings. Boston-based desert rock trio SUNDRIFTER finally present their long-awaited follow up to 2019’s sophomore record Visitations, which really saw the band come to the attention of the wider world, particularly amongst fans of bands like KING BUFFALO, ELDER and FORMING THE VOID.
Opener Limitless starts with booming toms and snare before the fuzzed-up guitars and reverb-heavy backing vocals join in, building up to the first verse proper. Immediately, there is a vast and expansive sound to the band, bigger and heavier than on their previous work. Then the lead vocals of guitarist/vocalist Craig Puera melt out of the speakers and you cannot help but be reminded of the incredible voice of late SOUNDGARDEN legend Chris Cornell. This is no pastiche, however, and throughout the opening track the vocals remain a real highlight.
Next up, Space Exploration takes a more obvious influence from previously mentioned scene legends KYUSS, the guitar tone and opening riff reminiscent of that band at their most SABBATH-esque. The production work definitely needs a mention here too, as the sound across this whole album is just the right balance of massive and live-sounding. This kind of music always suffers when it’s over-produced, when studio gimmicks or quadruple-tracked guitars distract from the actual feel of the musicians playing together. On An Earlier Time, SUNDRIFTER and their team (producer/mixer Dan Schwartz and Chris Goosman on mastering) appear to have got it spot on. The drums in particular have that perfect mix of compression on the snare and toms and roomier washes on the cymbals that seems to sit so well with the fuzzy, distorted low end.
And what a low end it is. Fourth track Prehistoric Liftoff in particular highlights the playing of bassist Paul Gaughran, his lines shifting from the deep chug that matches the main verse riff to the more exploratory, high-end work that lifts the chorus up towards the stars, soaring just as Puera‘s voice does. There is an almost hypnotic dronelike quality to this song and it sits well alongside the more energetic moments on the album.
Lead single Begin Again is perhaps the most commercial moment on An Earlier Time, although that’s no criticism when the songwriting sensibilities of the group naturally bend towards the more widely known aspects of 90s alternative rock and grunge, while still balancing those commercial qualities with otherworldly synths and progressive guitar leads. This song also represents the band’s attitude to the unintentionally long gestation period this album has undergone, Gaughran stating that the band has taken “far longer than we’d have liked to make this record, but that time has had its upsides“, allowing the band to truly cement the sound they have been building towards up until now.
Final Chance returns to a more epic, psychedelic space rock feel and while musically very much up in the sky, lyrically it could not be more earthbound, as throughout the coda Puera pleads “forgive me, for pushing you away“, his voice reverberating around the swirling guitars and cymbals as they slow to a hanging conclusion. This sense of longing continues on shorter final track Last Transmission, a synth and guitar-led soundscape that really evokes the feeling of the vastness and mystery of the desert.
There is no doubt that elements of these songs will sound familiar to fans of the desert rock, stoner rock and grunge genres and those fans will no doubt love this album for that alone. However, those that dig a little deeper and give the songs a chance to live and breathe in their own space will find a deeply rewarding album that transcends its influences to reach a whole other level of psychedelic joy.
Rating: 9/10
An Earlier Time is set for release on February 16th via Small Stone Recordings.
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