Album Review: Sun Airway - Soft Fall

Sun Airway
Soft Fall
Rating: Woof Daddy

I saw the Philadelphia-based duo Sun Airway open for White Lies and Asobi Seksu in spring of last year and their brand of heavenly synthpop was refreshing but ultimately seemed lacking in a lot of substance. Upon listening to their debut album Nocturne of Exploded Crystal Chandelier, nothing much changed my initial impression of their sound. The album was a very competent collection of dreamy, chillwave inspired laptop/bedroom pop that never seemed to reach out for anything daring or out of the norm. In this day and age, however, I am always willing to give a band that is remotely listenable a second chance, as the racks are littered with bands that have really mediocre debuts that come back with something completely amazing second time around (Radiohead springs to mind). Not that I am throwing Soft Fall in the same pile as The Bends, but in the realm of major leaps in sound and quality, Sun Airway's sophomore album is a complete gem.

Strangely, there is really not much different from their debut. They are still moving in a netherworld between Animal Collective's dense sonic explorations and the softer chillwave vibes of bands like Washed Out and Active Child, but here, instead of sounding wispy and fey, there is more complexity to their music, adding needed weight. it helps that songs all work together cohesively, making a much stronger statement. With that said, I will admit that initially Soft Fall comes across as insubstantial, and only after many listens does the brilliance of these tracks surface. But give it the time in needs, and you will not be able to stop listening to it.

Within the lush, gorgeous banks of synths on display here, there is a elegant strain of melancholy that snakes through these 11 songs. In this tattered, fragile world relationships are tortured and full of obstacles. First single "Close" is one of the saddest songs about inequality in a relationship and how one partner will always love the other one more. The narrator imploring: "you say you've never known love like this before/I say I've never known loneliness like this/you've never known loneliness before/because you've never been alone with my love."



Under the swirling synths and strings of "Wild Palms" he laments that "I dagger through the deep blue/to reach your wild palms/mostly I just feel lost."



Title track "Soft Fall" throbs under synth pulses and mournful vocal delivery, while elegant "Laketop Swimmers" unfolds like a elegiac longing for the past.



While it sounds like the album is a dour affair, it is mainly lyrically and not musically. Almost every track shimmers and bursts with bright airy keyboards that keep it moving swiftly along. From the rush of Cure like keyboards on "Black Noise" or the gorgeous waves crashing upon you on closer "Over My Head,"



Soft Fall shows that the duo knows how to artfully craft some of the most intoxicating synth pop out there. Intricately sculpted and sequenced, Soft Fall is measured out by several beautiful instrumentals that act as signposts along the way, taking the listener on an impeccable journey through one of the best albums of the year.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.