Aloha

Sugar (Polyvinyl)
by Tim Den

They’re baaaaaaack! Back for more freakishly good critical praisings! And with reason: Sugar – Aloha‘s sophomore full-length – doesn’t disappoint. Everything that blew us away the first time is back, smarter and more full-bodied than ever. The musings of auxiliary percussion, the dancing of the vibraphone, the sleekness of the sexy rhythms… my oh my. And they’ve brought a new friend, too: Lean, concise, economical, efficient vocal melodies. There won’t be as much “technicality gawking” this time around, cuz you’ll be too busy singing along. Sugar is not just a musician’s wet dream-come-true, it’s a breathing pop album with the contours of pure originality. Now, it’s not so much “look at all the stuff they’re playing with” as it is “look at how they’re able to construct formidable songs using such a wide variety of tools.” And when a song like “Balling Phase” steers your momentum like the ocean to your hull, there’re really no words to describe it. There’s a reason why “originality” can’t be pinned down by mere descriptions. Experience Sugar yourself.
(PO Box 7140 Champaign, IL 61826)