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| Sunny Day Sets Fire - Stranger / Remix EP | Sunny Day Sets Fire - Stranger / Remix EP
IAMSOUND Records
February 26, 2008
Full disclosure: Staff member Paul Tao works at IAMSOUND.
To the unacquainted reader, Sunny Day Sets Fire seems out of place on the vast majority of blogs on which they appear: Discobelle, IHEARTCOMIX, Fluxblog, and various other sites specializing in indie, dance, and hip-hop tracks hardly seem a likely place to find a band with such a stereotypically emo name. But as soon as one lays eyes upon the all-star cast of remix artists on the band’s Stranger E.P. – C.S.S., the Slips, XXXChange of Spank Rock, Mad Decent. The Cool Kids, and Baron von Luxxury – they immediately understand that S.D.S.F. fits in beautifully on the aforementioned blogs.
On the release, the band performs only one original song: “Stranger.” It begins with gentle guitar strums that sooth the listener. Lead singer Mauro massages calming lyrics through the air to further ease fans into the track alongside a slew of more melodic string additions. His voice seems distant, as if dripping down through the atmosphere from a yet-undiscovered planet. In fact, by the time the keyboard rolls in about halfway through the track, the listener is entirely subdued and at ease.
However, such relaxation lasts only a short time, as the Slips take over the song on the next track and instantly glitch it up. The duo slide a simple but effective beat under the a cappella and occasionally spice it up with heavier guitar work to energize the jam enough to become a legitimate dance floor inspiration. Despite the potentially disastrous mix of more intense instrumentals with such a delicate voice, this effort turns out splendidly.
The momentum builds further with a Cansei de Ser Sexy edit. This time around we hear a variation on “Wilderness,” a ditty otherwise unseen on the EP. Again the track brings about an alien feel, but this time with an especially quirky beat to go alongside the foreign singing. Though infinitely less likely to fire up a party, it impresses just as much as the previous remix.
Unfortunately, two of the biggest names on the bill – XXXChange of Spank Rock and the Cool Kids – fail to deliver a product up to par with expectations. The former lets his edit sit somewhere between a soothing lullaby and a fiery banger, and it thus flounders. Indecision disallows a true destination for the track, and this lack of direction leads to unfulfilled potential. The same goes for the Cool Kids. The only artists to try their hand at reworking the title track, the crew seems equally distraught when trying to determine a direction in which to take their effort. The edit sounds like an awkward cross between backing music for a haunted house and video game music for an underwater adventure. Though two enormously renowned artists in the blog world, these two powerful names fail to deliver this time around.
Luckily, underdog Baron von Luxxury turns in an absolutely stellar rework of “Brainless” to entirely rejuvenate the E.P. He slams heavily distorted and aggressive yet somehow still subtle bass into the track, and paired with his vocal edits, it works masterfully. Though the song plays for longer than any other track on the release, Baron von Luxxury tweaks it just enough here and there to keep it interesting while not confusing the listener with too much deviation from the foundation of the tune. Mad Decent follows suit on the same song in a strong manner, yet their effort still fails to match up to that of B.v.L. A much more direct beat powers this track, and though it invigorates when played alone, it serves as a cool down when listening to the E.P. straight through.
As clichéd as it may be, one really shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Though the trained eye often manages to pick out music that fits certain tastes impeccably simply by judging album art and artist names, Sunny Day Sets Fire, the most emo name this side of Cute is What we Aim For, sets listeners straight by churning out an E.P. featuring a soothing rock song accompanied by a slew of moving remixes. Like I said: don’t judge a book by its cover. |
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Displaying posts 1 - 5 of 5. |
03:43 PM on 02/15/08 | I had a hard time following this review, just because I don't know the band's original work, nor the remix artists. | | |
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03:56 PM on 02/15/08 | Shit I almost got my hopes up because I saw Sunny Day and thought SDRE. Good review btw. | | |
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09:05 PM on 02/15/08 | sunny day real estate and boy sets fire started a giant band together | | |
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01:56 AM on 02/16/08 | Originally Posted by eMart Shit I almost got my hopes up because I saw Sunny Day and thought SDRE. Good review btw. |
me too! i thought there was some ep i've never heard of and i was rather confused. | | |
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