The first release from
Sonny Smith
's label
Rocks in Your Head Records
,
Hairdressers from Heaven
sees the return of
Sonny & the Sunsets
following two solo releases from the bandleader (2016's
Sees All Knows All
and 2018's
Rod for Your Love
). After a diversion into synthier '80s inspirations on the
Merrill Garbus
-produced
Moods Baby Moods
(2016), it re-embraces the eclectic retro rock-, country-, and proto-punk-inspired guitar pop that
the Sunsets
are best known for.
was co-produced by another indie heavyweight in
the Shins
'
James Mercer
, alongside
Shins
bandmate
Yuuki Matthews
, both of whom also play on the album. Thankfully, they retain the group's unrefined, freewheeling spirit while also contributing warm vocal harmonies to several tracks. One of those tracks is the hooky yet bittersweet "Searchin" ("always searchin'â?¦for something"), an under-three-minute gem that plays like a low-key
Marshall Crenshaw
. The album's centerpiece, however, is "Someday I'd Like to Be an Artist," which channels a teenaged
Smith
. A stripped-back ballad built around piano and bass, with violin, woodwinds, spoken-word samples, handclaps, and homespun vocal harmonies, its lyrics include the ultra-quotable "Someday I'd like to be an artist and give myself away." Other selections range from the country-rock tune "Take a Hard Look Down the Long Corridor," to the punky "Drug Lake" and oddball instrumental "A Man Without a Past," which incorporates Arabic and AM pop inspirations. Consistently catchy, self-depreciating, and gratifyingly wry,
is another reliably worthwhile set from the indie stalwart and a solid launch for the label. ~ Marcy Donelson