Originally a three-piece, the Sons are now just one, who I guess we’ll call the Son. Ploughing a lonely furrow, the remaining Son is working on a new EP and our panel took a listen to the work in progress.
Joe Skrebels: In these tracks from their forthcoming EP, The Son(s) have crafted two rich, majestic compositions that grow better with every listen. ‘You Belong To No One’ manages to be both slow and exhilarating, like a lazy roll down a hillside, all tripping guitars and soundtrack violins. ‘Radar’ on the other hand starts out sounding like it could be pastoral folk before getting far louder than it seems to have any right to do, with echoing, high-pitched electric guitar and heavily-beaten drums before dropping away again just as suddenly. Each track works perfectly by itself, but listening to them together offers us a glimpse at a truly talented band. The way the background vocals always seem one step behind the lead singer’s, the gentle feeling of experimentation without becoming obtuse and the generally ethereal atmosphere of it all tells me that The Son(s) are onto a winner here.
Jono Ganz: Listening to the The Son(s) is a disorientating experience. On ‘Radar’, the listener is lured in with delicate vocal harmonies coupled with ambling guitar, before being thrust into its rich, swirling peak. It returns to the soft, throbbing voices at the end, leaving the listener in a dazed state. ‘You Belong To No One’ comes across as an ethereal lament, flowing seamlessly, recalling Bon Iver. It is easy to get lost in The Son(s)’ music, especially amidst the warm vocal counterpoints and subtly infectious melodies. The band is only in its early stages but their songs already show refreshing originality and excellent musicianship. With an EP in the works, The Son(s) are definitely one to watch this year.
Chris Gent: I’ll admit that before being sent the Soundcloud link I’d never heard of the Sons, let alone the Son. Having lost two of their three members before hitting my radar seems a tad careless, but it may account for the continuity gained in the interim, between those tracks first recorded a few months back and those recorded now. Bon Iver flavours come out in ‘You Belong to No One’ and the harmonies of ‘Radar’ are beautiful and soothing. The Son(s) is/are a work in progress but just listening to their tracks chronologically the progression is clear and the direction seems to suit the achingly beautiful vocals to a tee.
You can check out The Son(s) for yourself over at SoundCloud here.
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