Sunup is a 1970s band rooted in the rich harmonies and songwriting traditions inspired by legends like Crosby, Stills & Nash and The Beatles. Formed by Garry Manuel and James “Goon” Wilson, the group expanded with bassist Kerry Peterson and keyboardist Brian Soule, evolving a sound continually — and on their latest album, “The Key Is Love”, they bring a sound rooted deep in classic rock with a country twist — keep reading for my thoughts!
The album, composed of 15 tracks, starts off with “Back To My Soul” — a delightful country rock inspired number, this track has the charm of surf rock from the 70s, and the sound of the 21st century, with a clean, clear sound. The vocal performance is the standout on this track, laying a solid foundation to the rest of “The Key Is Love”.
Segueing into the second track, “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight” pivots the tempo downward for a distinctively Americana country sound reminiscent of “Country Roads” — and we’re here to appreciate! The pacing is slower, more deliberated, and the acoustic guitars play excellently with the bendy clean electrics, lending this track an aura of its own, still playing excellently well with the rest of “The Key Is Love”.
The third track is the title track — and befitting of the honour, this track is filled with warm, welcoming tones from the electric guitars and a clean vocal performance, filled with inspiring, optimistic melodic themes, and lyrical composition. The track comes together very beautifully indeed, with the pianos and the expressive drumming throughout.
As we journey on towards the midpoint of the album, “Out On The Farm” is what we encounter — with its country sound and banjos, there’s something quite special about this track. The energy is jolly, the tempo relaxed, and the fiddles engaging throughout.
Checkout the latest news: Watch: Jung Kook of BTS Sets the Stage Ablaze with Epic Performance and Global Solo Debut
Some other tracks on “The Key Is Love” that get our love today are “Standing At The Edge of Life”, “I Can See Clearly Now”, and “Tendencies”, which, make excellent additions to the album on their own right. As we start to bring “The Key Is Love” to a close with “Friendly Eastbound Train”, we’re welcomed again into a fast, engaging country rock number that serves to wrap things up beautifully.
The production on “The Key Is Love” is well thought out, and better executed even; from the design on the sounds to the production, the album moves forward as one cohesive unit, and there’s only appreciation to give as the energies flow up and down seamlessly one track a perfect puzzle fit with the next. The mixing is tight, warm and wide, with the essence of the instrumentals only being further amplified by the well-rounded execution.
All in all, “The Key Is Love”, by Sunup — a rather well-rounded album that’s all set to warm hearts the world over! Check out the album here:
Check out our Spotify playlists.
Check out our YouTube channel for music reviews, playlists, podcasts, and more!
