The past few years have been brilliant for indie rock both old and new. We’ve seen bands like Dinosaur Jr make an unexpected return with two solid post reunion albums, Superchunk drop an ep & 7″ out of the blue and even the reformation of Pavement.
As for new bands, there’s a current slew of artists such as Failures Union and Used Kids that are bringing back the 90′s indie sound and amongst this list somewhere near the top, are Sundials.

Sundials play a type of indie rock that’s not too far removed from the greats like Buffalo Tom and later era Superchunk, the former a clear influence on opening track “Names That Matter Most”, in fact I had to do a double take to make sure I hadn’t accidentally put “Sleepy Eyed” on.

The 6 songs fly by in short 3 minute bursts each full of catchy hooks and brilliant harmonies that I guarantee you’ll leave on repeat as the total runtime of 18 mins can be listened to again and again without getting the least bit repetitive. Lyrically, the songs flit between subjects such as geeky obsessions (“Hidden Books”), childhood misdemeanors (“It Stands a Ground”) and the girl that got away (“Neighborhood Well”) which carry a sense of innocence with them and in turn a sense of charm and instant appeal.

Sundials aren’t anything new by any means but at the end of the day, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it and nonetheless it’s fun, catchy, bouncy and will most likely be the soundtrack to this year’s summer days.
If you have ANY interest whatsoever in indie rock then give the songs a download from If You Make It and while you’re at it, order the 7″ on Impermanent Records (when it’s out!).

Hidden Books

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