The Suns out! Jim Lockey and the Solemn Sun once again let their talent shine!
I have been to see the band that Frank Turner labels “the best new band he knows” on a number of occasions now and each time they are as equally impressive as the last. Having seen them at a range of venues around London, it seems not to matter where they are or what their schedule looks like, they are always present, always fun and always the best of the night. The go hard or go home mentality is most definitely evident in these young talents.
My most recent contact with the boys from Cheltenham was at the Wilmington Arms, Kings Cross on the 25th May. An already hot night in Central London was made intensely hotter, as Jim and his lads burnt up the stage with some tunes that got the audience singing along and generously applauding. This gig was performed not long after the release of their new album Death, which contains a range of styles, from light acoustic to heavy rock based music. Whereas many albums released these days contain a few great songs, I find myself revelling in the fact that “Death” seems to contain nigh all great songs, each individual, and each inducing a ‘sing-along’ complex you will find hard to shake.
A personal favourite of mine that has always captivated the audience whenever I have been present is ‘Boat Song’. Whereas many artists today stand on stage and wave down on an awestruck audience, when it comes to the Boat Song, all the action takes place crowd side. This purely acoustic song simply requires a guitar, a melodica and the unique voice of Jim Lockey, as the band abandon the stage to mingle amongst the crowd as they sing. This one small act alone denotes the simple and down to earth nature of these boys, something we can only hope prevails as they reach new heights of stardom.
I can conclude this brief analysis by reiterating that I am truly impressed with this band, causing me to believe that if Carlsberg did bands, it would probably be Jim Lockey and the Solemn Suns. If possible, all should be checking out their website in the near future, visit http://jimlockeyandthesolemnsun.tumblr.com/ , or Facebook Jim Lockey and the Solemn Suns for a free download. Their new album is now on sale, I would say the perfect gift for Father’s Day, but here at the Guestlist Network we don’t do cheese.
Michael Barthee
