Album Review: People Of The Sun

People Of The Sun is a band consisting of Joseph Anderson (Guitar, lead vocals), Tom Scrase (Drums, Taonga Puoro, Vocals), and Djordje Nikolic (Bass, Vocals), based in New Plymouth. The have just released their self-titled debut album, and what an album it is.

The introduction to the album is a brief track called The Call, where a deep pulse transitions into mournful taonga puoro notes, followed by a background scrabbling that leads into track 2, debut single Lisurgen. I’m immediately hit by the strength of the production, crisp, clear, and full. An open, washy feel seems to hint at something more to come. and come it does, just before the two minute mark. A rolling, wave-like mood underpins soaring, beautiful vocals that are soon joined by superb harmonies. A mid-point breakdown sees the bass carrying the song back into the initial feel, evolving to a nice proggy-like unison riff with the guitar, which in turn becomes a gorgeous big chord progression, the vocals exploding into a new level. The crescendo of the song is huge, mighty, and stunning.

Next up is The Seed, where a mellow, wah-ed out guitar intro is joined by more of those fantastic vocals, I’m loving Joseph’s voice. The bass and drums gently join in under the sparse guitar line, with a slow build-up. I’m really digging the bass line in this song, and I feel compelled to once again comment on the production, it’s super stuff. This band also has a good handle on the importance of dynamics, masterfully controlling the differing moods within each song. A much needed skill, given that this track in particular is around 12 minutes long, yet it manages to be captivating for every single second. I love the new riff that kicks in at around the halfway point, I’m reminded of Tool, but not in a derivative way, more of an “Oh, we see what you did there, Tool. We’re going to pick up that ball and run with it in an entirely different direction” kind of way. Then, a whole new feel again, shortly after the nine minute mark, a clever segue into a gigantically stomping section. Magnificent.

On Elders, a brooding bass intro is soon accompanied by light percussion, subdued guitar, and breathy vocals. This song only slightly increases dynamically from there, the ethereal vocals being the real star of this track, lush harmonies and a periodic counter-melody, the whole devolving back to the intro riff to end. 10,000 Things is, by comparison to the other tracks, a very short interlude, 90-odd seconds of atmospheric guitar, a touch of thoughtful beauty amongst these powerful songs.

Sky is another long track, at just under nine minutes. Brought in by pensive guitar and vocal notes, with a hint of percussion, wonderfully evocative of its title. The bass and drums come in at around the 30 second mark, taking nothing away from the suggestion of sky. This song gets positively thunderous at around the 5 minute mark, before dropping back to its former feel. The aptly titled Last Song (Keep Burning) has an acoustic guitar intro, which sets an upbeat mood for the accompanying vocals. At around the one minute mark, the bass and drums complement the mellowness. A nice and tasty acoustic guitar solo adds to the sweetness of this song. This one also has a decent length at seven and a half minutes, and again, manages to entertain throughout, dynamically both building and dropping in way that keep the listener enthralled. The latter part of the song is high energy, high intensity, and a highly fitting end to the album, as it fades out on unaccompanied vocal harmonies.

People Of The Sun have delivered a massive debut, musically and lyrically rich and deep, strong and subtle. Well worth a listen, and no doubt an aural and visual treat to experience in a live setting. Excellent work.