Sundials – Never Settle (Traffic Street/Toxic Pop)
The last time I uttered the name Sundials, it resulted in an epic Internet clash of commentary erupting from anonymous sources, and feuds fueled by cascading intelligent thoughts. I’m excited to see what comes of this go-around.
Sundials – Never Settle (Traffic Street/Toxic Pop)
The last time I uttered the name Sundials, it resulted in an epic Internet clash of commentary erupting from anonymous sources, and feuds fueled by cascading intelligent thoughts. I’m excited to see what comes of this go-around.
After months of recording and touring, Sundials have finally unveiled a full-length entitled Never Settle. For every element that I loved from the Richmond-based three-piece on The First Six Songs, I have come to enjoy even more on this new release. Their sound, steeped in the heart of nineties alt-rock, has evolved gracefully and powerfully to solidify the group’s status as up-and-comers in the local scene.
Never Settle flies by in a little over thirty minutes. This steady flow allows the record to remain in a listener’s hindsight for much longer. After each listen, I find a new song to adore and a new observation to absorb. “Either Way” helps provide the record with an identity, as Harris Mendell’s voice ponders his physical, mental and emotional state. In all of his vulnerability and reluctance to let anything bring him down, he realizes that tomorrow will happen one way or another. To deny this would be foolish. In his hesitance to flounder in pessimism, a greater theme presents itself–Sundials are fighting to make everything count.
For me, the standout track has to be “Blame.” This may be the most personal song out of all of the confessions made by the group on Never Settle. The story begins with a falling out between two former lovers. They are still courteous to one another, but she has moved on, and is bound to be married soon. With the arrival of this news, our protagonist contemplates what went wrong and the subsequent blame he administers to his own psyche. “Blame” stands out because it may be the most difficult struggle encountered on Never Settle. In other instances that involve political struggles and future worries, “Blame” insists on accountability. It’s a song that offers insight on impending adulthood and learning to accept that we may be destined to continue repeating the same mistakes. It’s easy to relate to, and it doesn’t hurt that it carries itself well with a catchy chorus.
The only moments where Never Settle seems to falter is in it’s political manifestos. This isn’t a personal criticism that revolves around the content of these songs. I am in total agreement with their politics. I just felt like Sundials wanted to achieve the development of a story that revolved around a personal reflection, as well as offering a bit of political commentary. This isn’t something that is accomplished poorly… I think at times, it works incredibly well. At other moments, it sticks out to such a degree that it may unintentionally disrupt the song. Thankfully, it’s never a disruption that places the songs at a point of no recovery. It simply causes the songs to form a difficult contrast–which could be a strong asset for the group in the future. I could see Sundials, in future releases, inspiring ideas that resemble those of The Weakerthans. If they do so, the personal narratives can then cohesively function alongside political asides, and the band would be all the better for it.
Sundials belongs in a category with Superchunk, The Lemonheads, The Replacements, and so on. With Never Settle, they have proven that their potential is still rising. I for one am excited to see the evolution of the group, and what they will bring to the forefront on future releases. An evolution that I can currently only imagine would put Sundials in a position to avoid comparisons to the sounds of the past, and to be considered a band that will inspire new legions of bands in the future.
