Released on Little Cloud Records and Acid Test Records the latest release from SYSV is a breath of fresh air. Despite the somewhat dark lyrics, from the opening track “She Makes a Great Parade” you get this airy 70’s feel complete with horns and synth and yet some fuzz washing over everything. ‘It’s Good to Be Alive keeps the vibe going with some synth drum and claps and even following a more raucous two minute intro, or is it a four minute outro? The title track picks things up a bit with some heavier guitar and the chorus of “Good Goddamn” almost has a bit of a Stone Roses vibe meets the Stooges. “Never Comin’ Over” and Walk Of Sobriety continue the Summer vibes as the two track bookend “Walk of Sobriety” with a bit of a Zeppelin strut to it with some additional keyboards. “Taser Blue” adds a bit of Eastern flair to the mix and again continues the trend of tracks that start off fairly aggressive then break things down for the more mellow second half. “A Little Sweetness” and “Specimen Jar” close things out with the latter being a mostly acoustic piece recalling a bit of Floyd or maybe Robyn Hitchcock. This is a great Summer record. It’s amazing how a record can sound so rooted in time yet so modern at the same time. There’s a bit of chaos and frustration here and yet the album closing with the refrain “It’s good to be alive” leaves you with a positive note. I have yet to see these guys live but I’m hoping this is the year these guys come a bit west or perhaps make a stop in Milwaukee. I can hope can’t I?
You can get this one at their Bandcamp Page, Cardinal Fuzz (Europe) and Little Cloud Records (USA)
