The return of Soulside has been one of the most pleasant surprises of 2022. The impassioned vocals of Bobby Sullivan have never been more in need, frankly, and the rhythmic punch of Alexis Fleisig (drums), Scott McCloud (guitar and vocals), and Johnny Temple (bass) is still an inspiring force. The band's new record, A Brief Moment in the Sun, is out on Friday via Dischord, and it's exactly what you'd want to hear from this outfit after 33 long years away.
Of course, they returned a couple of years ago for the "This Ship" stand-alone single, but A Brief Moment in the Sun is the first long-player from this crew in so long. Things kick off quickly in familiar form. "Times Like These" is supple, all coiled energy, while "Every Clover" chugs forward with purpose. This one is both ecologically- and spiritually-aware, and a listener's heart warms listening to the kind of harDCore that was uniquely a product of frontman Bobby Sullivan and his band-mates. There's a nice synergy here between the playing and the lyrics, such that the tune mirrors the rising concerns of the words. Similarly, the historically-minded "Reconstruction" looks at a post-slavery America with a fine clarity, Sullivan's insights here linking the grim racial realities of this country's past with the right-wing "red shirt" demagogues causing conflict now.
A Brief Moment in the Sun seems even more focused on the whole than earlier efforts by the band. These are sharp tunes, with smart lyrics, where the riffs and hooks never overpower the message or emotions of the vocals. Recorded with J. Robbins, the whole album has a clean sound. The tunes now are punchier and somehow more direct, and still fluid too in spots, yet never less than focused. Listening to older Soulside releases again, I don't think the give-and-take between vocalist and players has been as sharply defined as it is here. Listening to something like "Tambourine", you're keenly aware of each musician in the mix, with Sullivan's vocals seemingly both in the center of the instruments, and leading them forward. And there are loads of cuts here just like that. Frankly, I think this is the most focused and razor-sharp Soulside record to date.
A Brief Moment in the Sun is out tomorrow via Dischord.
[Photo: Uncredited 2022 Press Photo]