Musical Thesis: SUUNS “Hold/Still”
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At the center of every album is a musical thesis. This thesis can be the driving force behind the album, a theme that interweaves songs together, or a feeling you are left with after the very last song plays. With some albums, the thesis is easy to find. On others, it is hidden and requires you to be more than a passive listener. These reviews aren’t about rating an album. Instead, it is about uncovering a musical thesis.
I found SUUNS via the NPR podcast, “All Songs Considered.” Within seconds, I was hooked and had to discover more. Since then, two albums have joined my collection, and more will be invited soon. This band moves me in the same way as Beach House and Daughter. Where those bands can be ethereal and booming toward something bigger, SUUNS offers a haunting look at the direction of rock music; an interpretation that I find enthralling.
Digging through “Hold/Still,” morose may be the first word that comes to your mind. It was for me, but upon further examination, this collection is more than a bunch of songs playing background to a funeral scene on some Netflix show. These are songs with emotional depth. The subject matter me hard to grasp and some titles may take multiple listens to discover the true character, but for me, that is always half of the fun.
This album is also hypnotic and engrossing. Every song appears to be building on the other as the songs crescendo into a full examination of a partially examined life. In this void, you are invited to think deeply and quietly. In a world that can be louder than a 747’s engine, this is a rare space and an invitation I believe you should accept. Without a doubt, you will draw a different interpretation of the thesis. When you do, let’s talk. I am excited to hear what you’ve learned.
Be good to each other,
Nathan
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