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Solsikk - Solsikk

On 2nd May 2011 Solsikk are scheduled to release their self-titled album Solsikk; the track listing to consist of:

Relish in Nervous Delights
Viridescere
Keep Pushing Me
Freefall
Cut a Little Deeper
Your Blistering Tongue
Needles and Pins
Razored Cell
Volatile Territory
Bloodlust

As I have been fortunate enough to have received advance copies of the mp3 files of the album here are my thoughts. It seems to me that some bands have been guilty of forgetting that track #1 of an album is effectively a hook to leave a prospective listener wanting to hear more. Fortunately for me Solsikk are definitely not one of these bands. In the opening song they lay the foundations of a distinctly versatile sound. Chief amongst this is the vocal work of Vykki Turner and guitarist Chris Webb who treat us to a melodic offering which alternates between overflowing with energy to being almost subdued in nature as band members indicate a clear understanding of what they are attempting to achieve musically. In the visions Solsikk introduces into the mind of this reviewer both the album opener and the subsequent songs have the undoubted potential to be definite crowd-pleasers.

What swiftly becomes apparent is that Solsikk are definitely not afraid to experiment with what might be considered the usual musical boundaries. This means that they are often not easy to categorise, not least because of their sound at times being almost reminiscent of the punk genre as Vykki uses the spoken word as part of the songs. In earlier songs she had also hinted at her softer range but this isn’t fully explored until ‘A Little Deeper’ which starts off with the slow feel of a ballad before steadily moving up the tempo without moving into the territory of any of the past songs before it quietly bows out in the manner of how the song began.

After this deviation the return to the norm which I had been expecting came courtesy of ‘Your Blistering Tongue’ which signalled a return to the energetic sound which Solsikk seem to have made their hallmark. However, just when you think it’s safe to sit back and enjoy their sound they have one last thing to showcase with the closing song of ‘Bloodlust’ which provides Vykki the opportunity to showcase her more than capable growls at the album closure.

Taking nothing away from the unquestionable quality of what Solsikk bring to the table I do, however, have a criticism as the album sounded at times a little raw which leads me to wonder how much better it could have been if it had been polished. This being said this CD is well worth a place within your collection and feel it is still worthy of 7.5/10

Gavin Harris - 10/04/2011 09:47:42