Blinded By The Sun
Self-Released, 2019
8/10
A Canadian outfit who had a strong 2018 with some impressive awards, international touring and opening for high profile bands, this 3rd album from Relic Kings finds the quartet flourishing further with their eclectic and creative rock formula.
The title track starts the listen and wastes no time diving right into a warm, timeless meshing of soaring vocals, crisp instrumentation and pretty textures, and “Hypnotize” follows with muscular guitar riffs in a louder setting of tense rock.
Elsewhere, “Leading Me Astray” offers a charged and rhythmic affair of precise sounds, while “Stay Tonight” shifts gears into piano balladry with much elegance.
Deeper cuts bring us the thundering sounds of “Feeling Good”, that are hypnotic and crunchy in all the best ways, and “Push Me” recruits some metallic nods in a thicker, powerful atmosphere. “Are You Ready” ends the listen on a high note, with an ‘80s hard rock approach that puts the exclamation point on the strength of this record.
Canada has never been short on fantastic rock bands, and it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if Relic Kings are one day spoken in the same sentence as The Tragically Hip or The Weakerthans, cause Blinded By The Sun is a superbly skilled listen that hints at even better things to come.
Travels well with: The Trews- Civilianaires; Arkells- Morning Report