The Sun - Did Your Mother Tell You

Genre rock Publisher Warner Brothers External Links Official Site Warner Brothers

Hanging a moniker like "The Sun" around your bands neck immediately brings to mind auditory images of sandy, Beach Boys-style harmonies, Polyphonic-odes to the bright orange bulb in the sky, or shimmering West Indian Girl, L.A. drug club tracks. But The Sun, uprooted from Columbus, Ohio and replanted in Los Angeles to record for Warner Brothers, add wicked garage punch behind their sunflower seed flavor. Built with a heavy power pop backdrop of Sam Brown beating the hell on the drums, and Bryan Arendt on bass, while fronted by the wailing yet soothing voice of lead singer Chris Burney, The Sun released their second EP Did Your Mother Tell You, to major expectations.

Did Your Mother Tell You contains seven distinct tracks, as if the band were auditioning a sound to stick to for their yet to be completed full length. It is refreshing to hear a band lay out seven different sounds when they all sound as good as this and are loosely strung together on common themes like mothers, daughters, girlfriends, and demons.

Did Your Mother Tell You, contains two bonus DVD video singles, "My Girlfriend's Best Friend," and "Valentine," (which both can be seen on the bands website, http://www.thesunwebsite.com) "My Girlfriend's Best Friend," is the highlight track, part Supergrass "Pumping On Your Stereo," part Gorillaz and parts Queens of the Stone Age 666-hell-flame-guitar-fury; Burney's burnt out vocals sting with spit fire anger.

"Valentine" is less charged up, a pop track reminiscent of a restrained Pinkerton-era Weezer. It is the most complete song on the EP. I would like to have seen a third video made for "Justice," which has the EP's sharpest hook and harmonies. I hope the song doesn't die on the vine and that it gets an extra workup for the bands debut full length.

"Demons" is an unfinished attempt at something The Shins have down pat. "That's all I got," says Chris Burney as the track ends abruptly at 1:48. This acoustic track serves as a breath of fresh air in the middle of all the garage fuzz on Did Your Mother Tell You.. The brevity of the song still contains enough unpolished charm that deserves to be completely fleshed out. I hope to hear more of these types of beauties on the full length.