One test of a good song is whether it can be stripped bare and still succeed in its naked simplicity. Though San Diego four-piece Years Around The Sun coats its full-length debut, Inva De Siva, in multiple harmonic layers, the band also demonstrates a knack for crafting an infectious melody — 13 times over — while using minimalist instrumentation.
Boasting an amiable alternative sound similar to Pinback, dual vocalists Ronnie Dudek (guitar) and Dylan Raasch (bass) lay the groundwork for breezy pop jingles like “Roundabout,” lively rockers like “Failing at Art” and cosmic ballads like “The Empyrean Trail,” which is constructed of heartbeat percussion and a dissonant piano line that conjures ‘90s space rockers Failure in its spooky otherworldliness.
With much of the album driven by vocals, the nothing-flashy arrangements — somewhat mechanical bass, guitar, keyboard and percussion — suffer at times in the passive backseat. For example, “Soft Light Serenade” and “The Ghost” employ a robotic structure suggestive of a keyboard demo button.
Yet the band overcomes the moments lacking in instrumental grit with prize songwriting, most obviously on standout “Beyond The Waves,” where the singers meld into a yin yang contrast spotlighting the turbulence of life changes. The melancholy nostalgia of its verses hints at a ship lost at sea, leading into a lighthouse of a soaring chorus: “Oh in the night comes the rain / and I’m the one left spinning out / The lights will lead beyond the waves / as our heart-shaped ships set out / And some will break / but I’ll refrain / ‘Cause I believe we’ll make it back...” The persistent optimism permeating the lyrics complements Years Around The Sun’s aptitude for memorable songs that linger long after Inva De Siva ends. (Manaloft Records)
Published in West Coast Performer, May 2008
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