Album Review: Yawning Sons - Ceremony to the Sunset

Yawning Sons - Ceremony to the Sunset

Release Date June 15, 2009

Lexicon Devil Records

I love to space out. I think it is good for the soul, no matter what your boss, teachers, or parents say. Being able to space out and think about stuff provides a well needed break from the hustle and bustle of your life, assuming my readers are at all busy. Often times, having some sort of musical catalyst is needed to reach that all important Zen state of "Whoa" or in most cases "Huh? What?" stage. This is where Yawning Sons comes in.

Conceived in a jam between Gary Arce and UK instrumental group Sons of Alpha Centuri, and birthed with the help of Mario Lalli, Scott Reeder, and Wendy Rae Fowler, Ceremony to the Sunset is unmistakably an Arce signature concoction. With Arce's unmistakable tone,  extendo-jams, and a band name similar to the one that made him famous,  I immediately knew that I would be making comparisons to Yawning Man right off the bat.

On a personal note, Yawning Man was the first band I got into after discovering there was a whole "Desert Rock" scene (after listening to the hell out of Kyuss). My buddies and I searched long and hard to find music from this, to us, unheard of scene and unheard of music. A lot of us found our "way" because we discovered the scene and Yawning Man was a huge, nay, massive part of that. Needless to say, I have high expectations for this album.

So I unexpectedly receive the album from somewhere in the UK, run to my car, and pop it in. The first track is "Ghostship-Deadwater" A very relaxing intro makes the album cover come to light. After taking a look on the back to see what the rest of the song titles are, I can see there is a very nautical and lush theme to this album. Lots of water and gardens. Then, all of a sudden, vocals. Those familiar with Centrui's and Arce's work are not familiar with hearing voices, unless they are in your head. But to my delight Fowler's mixed down, almost Shoegaze-esqe performance adds another dimension to a track I had expected to be an instrumental.

"Tomahawk Watercress" is an expected chilled jam with a touch of Oriental flair. it's easy to get lost in this one. The addition of a second guitar to the traditional Yawning Man sound makes a defining mark on the band, which is almost enough to convince me not make comparisons to Yawning Man, but not quite. "Wetlands" is more of the same but a little more spacey. This is not a bad thing. If I get into the intricacies of instrumental space jams then this review would be 5 pages long, or I can just say that it is a, instrumental space jam that is a pleasure to listen to.

The segue song, "Whales in Tar", is a creepy, short (by Yawning Sons standards) song that does a amicable job of linking the two halves of the album, or you can skip it, it's up to you. The swaying "Meadows" includes a Springsteen like performance by long time Arce collaborator Mario Lalli (Fatso Jetson, Yawning Man). The song is about reading, something you're doing right now. With a simple, unchanging melody and terrific jam section, this track is only to be outdone by the following song "Garden Sessions. Pt. 3". This has it all, Scott Reeder chanting, bongos, and slidey guitars. It's hard to think of synonyms to terms like "Super Chill Jam" so I'm not going to. This is my favorite song on the album and, oddly enough, it is perhaps the least Yawning Man sounding.

"Japanese Garden" closes the album with the most Yawning Man sounding song, if Yawning Man were Japanese.

Going into this album I thought "Well, it's either going to suck because it didn't live up to my expectations or it's going to replace Pell Mell's Star City as the album I listen to on the way home after the radio show." Thankfully it was the latter. Yawning Sons is not Yawning Man with a different name slapped on it. While it does have Arce's signature guitar tone and the instrumental jams we've come to know and love, the guys from Sons of Alpha Centuri bring the whipped cream to the pie party. With an added textural element and diversity in the drums, Ceremony to the Sunset stands on its own as a solid trippy album. While it is held together by a theme it does not get stale. Sure, some of the jams may be be a pinch too long, but so what? On a scale from "Loves it" to "Not so Much", I give it a "I'll keep it around and see where this goes".

1. Ghostship-Deadwater (8:31)
2. Tomahawk Watercress (6:57)
3. Wetlands (6:40)
4. Whales in Tar (2:47)
5. Meadows (8:08)
6. Garden Sessions, Pt. 3 (5:21)
7. Japanese Garden (4:46)

Length - 43:10

http://www.sonsofalphacentauri.co.uk/yawningsons.php

I also have to say, Yes, I know the album is over a year old. I know I could have reviewed something new. But I had been searching for this album and had, unfortunately, forgotten about it, until I was at the station and lo-and-behold I get this wacky looking envelope from a far away land. Do you have an album that you want on "It Came from the Desert"? Check out the contact page to the right! I LOVE getting music in the mail!