ALBUM REVIEW: Sunbeams Curl – Sleepwulf

SLEEPWULF return after their debut back in 2020 with the roaring Sunbeams Curl. A solid slab of stoner rock, Sunbeams Curl explores mortal ideas including various spiritual quandaries, occult nature and our greedy, death-mongering ways of life. It’s a record that looks at breaking cycles of destruction and greed, and the manner in which people commit themselves to forsaking the sacred.

The crookedness of many characters within the record are great central points to base these massive sounding songs on. Man Under Mountain is rich in lyrical imagery, while the guitars sing as sweetly as any voice and the drums bash and batter to complete the fullness of the tune. Likewise in Green Man Dead, the death of the green man, a mystical figure in many folklore tales, is slightly symbolic. It’s a tale about reaping what we sow as we destroy our world, a theme solidified in the crushing basslines and twists and turns of the melody, which are all superbly pulled together through a variety of time changes and deft playing.

Stoned Ape grows with real intensity from a lumbering sway to a gracefully postured track filled with ringing organ and that classic fuzz guitar. It’s a good tune but maybe not as immediately catchy as songs like Satan Is King. It’s clear why this is the opener, as it takes a devilish delight in the demonic imagery and you can feel the smirk of delight at the dissolution and the cosmic prophecies of the cautionary tale.

There’s a comfort zone on the initial few tracks that lulls you into the mindset that SLEEPWULF want you to get into. But there are plenty of tempo changes and groove filled tracks like Tyrant Song, which takes a very bouncy, almost childlike approach to the vocals before swinging into the deceptively poignant lyrics of the chorus.

In a similar vein, Toad Licker Mushroom Picker takes a seemingly whimsical rhyming scheme to play with the idea of old spells and incantations, of prophecy and dream states, to bring a darker and deeper, more wistful track with many twists and turns of its own. That applies in a musical sense too, with psychedelic, blues-infused solos and melodic moments that get really groovy and hard hitting.

There’s a proto-doom edge to Sunbeams Curl that fits well with SLEEPWULF’s occult fascination and imagery, with the fuzz and groove of the heavy rock sounds blending into the psychedelic. Combined with its old school recording through tapes, this has an organic feeling throughout the performance that solidifies the experience of listening to Sunbeams Curl. The record sets out to entice you with its clear lyrics and imagery, and keeps you with it with its stomping, swaying selection of tasty riffs and melodies.

Rating: 8/10

Sunbeams Curl is set for release on February 18th via Heavy Psych Sounds.

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