by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
New Paltz, NY’s Chris Sunshine make that good mopey slacker rock, the kind that’s engaging and detached, similar to bands like Peaer and LVL UP before them. Set to release their fourth release of 2019 (following an LP, EP, and a stand-alone single), the young band are churning out syrupy rockers that stick like glue as they blend dreamy melodies with a fair bit of shoegaze and those vocals that stretch out every syllable to the point of snapping. Steeplechase, the band’s latest recording, is out September 27th, a record the swoons and lingers in your mind with delicate harmonies and fuzzy hooks.
Led by Chris Jones (guitar/vocals) and joined by Jeb Polstein (drums), Lucy Mondello (bass/vocals) and Kelly Vinett (vocals), the once solo project is using their expanded line-up to sweeten the deal, each gentle harmony strengthening the emotional heft with dynamic punctuation. On the punchy warped pop of “Tucker,” the band eventually blast into a crescendo reminiscent of Hum with a brief taste of a guitar solo and Mondello’s sweet vocals offering a growing companionship to Jones’ emotive voice. While “Riptide” and “Silver Skin” begin awash in reverb and MBV-indebted distortion as thick as bricks, both songs settle into AM gold for the verses, with a slight twang in Jones’ voice, pulled forward when joined by Vinett and Mondello.