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The Sundance Kids
2007 EP Including the Atmosphere
By Amanda Stone
4 October 2007
Including the Atmosphere is a bright, uplifting release full of heartfelt lyrical content backed up by an emotional, pop rock sound. If you like the optimistic energy of bands such as Evermore, you’ll soon become fond of this relatively new Adelaide quintet.
Recorded in the spring of 2006, all six songs are radio-friendly, starting with two faster tracks and then progressing into emotional, dreamy ballads with hypnotic guitar notes.
This band offers a special serenity in their music, with the smooth harmony and diversity of the instruments with the soothing vocals working well. The musicianship is also strong, with the instruments rising in intensity when needed to give the songs more feeling.
The drums are used effectively to give the songs an upbeat rock feel and subtly lift the ballads. Interestingly, there are also guest musicians for the cello and piano parts in two of the songs, creating a pretty, dreamy sound.
The opening track Solutions was particularly catchy as the vocals were highly intense and a punchy sense of enthusiasm was radiated from the band generally.
Stay with Me, the fourth track, showcases a strong sense of emotion with the backup vocals adding another dimension to the music. The clever use of cello in this song also helps to create depth and feeling for the listener, and is very beautiful to listen to.
If you are in the mood for a relaxing journey, listen to the EP whilst lying in a hammock on a sunny late Sunday afternoon; which happened to be when I first listened to this release and when I found it had the most impact.
Overall, the EP is happy, melodic and calming and I am sure many people will relate to it. The band provides a big dose of emotional content within the easy listening, catchy songs; making you relax and reflect at the same time.
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