Album

Sunfaia: 'La Resistance'

(Self-released, 2015)

Published by Álvaro Cabezuelo Doblaré and translated by Alex Belencoso - 8 years ago
Sunfaia: 'La Resistance'

Sun and fire. Rock and Reggae. Punk and Grunge. Blues and Stoner. A band with a style far removed from what we usually hear on the Spanish scene.

Guys of Sunfaia encourages us to join their strength after a period of comings, goings and lineup changes. They didn't publish anything since 2012 and now they surprise us with this sound trip produced by Ramiro Nieto (The Right Ons, Jet Lag), with the band itself.

If you like glib music, maybe this is not your band (or just it's what you need), but if you love challenges and rebirth of bands, dive into its complex formula.

  • 1.- 'Resistance' This song features a deep bass, reminiscent of The White Stripes style in the beginning and gradually taking influences from Nirvana. While it is a gamble to sing in English being a Spanish band, it is well defended.
  • 2.- 'Zombie Reggae' What a great song to enjoy live. Vocals follow the reggae beat, as if the dead were waking from their rest, taking the whole strength of Rock through electric guitars. The ending is a chaos, clearly apocalyptic. A success.
  • 3.- 'El Agujero' They ask a good question: "What kind of democracy requires to die for corrupt people that have it all?" A solid electric base for the song that's maybe the more linear song of the album.
  • 4.- 'Won´t Stop Us' Another track in English where drums shines, good work. Perhaps is less surprising but it has strength and a good melody that sustains it. Or maybe we should hear it live, seeing these musicians giving "faia".
  • 5.- 'Breve Historia del Mundo' A protest track with the known distorted reggae rhythm of the band. While the first few seconds are too distorted leaving the voice almost inaudible, it is perhaps what gives the rhythmic touch when the song breaks and opens. Finally, as the world, it sinks back into the darkness of distortion, but this time more balanced.
  • 6.- 'Mr Money' Reggae with "Wah-Wah" sounds. Maybe it's the least dark of the album, despite greed is a very tricky matter. A "cool" song for a current thing that concern us. Whatever, you will jump with it, thinking world can go to hell.
  • 7.- 'The Revenge of Johnny Wallace' Well-crafted instrumentation for a song in which vocals give everything, electric guitar makes very interesting solos and the musicians play between each other, but that leaves me a bittersweet taste. Perhaps it's the fact that it's sung in English, perhaps because of having heard the previous songs or just simply because it's not the best in a lyrical level. However,  you can say they work a lot and, believe me, that's a value in these days of serial music.
  • 8.- 'Overthinking' With this song I have to go back on my previous review. It's a wise mix many sounds in a in crescendo song. A journey through different styles that ends with an accelerated ska.
  • 9.- 'Hormigas' Simple notes and slow rhythm, with strong increases to avoid losing their touch, in which perhaps is the most intimate track on the album. The lyrics are a very important part of this reflective song that finishes with a sound that will thrill your eardrums.
  • 10.- 'Never' A dark melody to end The Resistance with a submerged bass. The choirs and leaving an open end instrumentation, are good decisions.

After listening to the whole album, you're left exhausted and, I dare say, confusing, in a good sense, of course. There is everything but the spine it's reggae sound and distortion. Their bet is so risky that they've decided to create a songlist in English and Spanish, about in the same proportion, which may be its greatest strength or weakness, depending the point of view.

Truth is Sunfaia is a constant duality. Take care at the graphic design of covers and flags, this band is perfectionist and makes things seriously.

There's more in https://sunfaia.bandcamp.com/