Fuzzy Sun have used their lockdown time for introspection and reflection, resulting in a seven-track acoustic EP: Stories Retold. Here, they reimagine seven tracks of their previously released material in a new light.
Acoustic music is something close to Fuzzy Sun – an integral part of their musical
maturation – with the band frequently citing the work of artists like John Martyn, Nick
Drake and Joni Mitchell as some of their key influences. Consequently, it is unsurprising that the EP is a thing of such brilliance.
‘Want Love’ is unrecognizable in the best possible way. Exuberant vocals have been replaced by a relaxed, easy-going tone, bringing the perhaps previously under-appreciated lyrics into stark light. The track takes an entirely new tone, reminiscent of Bon Iver or Tom Odell.
However, the core sound is entirely still that of Fuzzy Sun. ‘Eve’ beautifully layers vocals to create a lightly-fluttering style that gently tugs the reader into a sun-spangled field; a musical experience soaked in effervescence. The chorus is rendered brilliant in an entirely new way, with irresistible melodies recapturing fans’ hearts anew.
‘Gentleman’s Touch’ puts an oceans worth of emotion into just a few minutes, with a brief saxophone interlude that shows they hope to expose existing listeners to other musical directions. ‘A Modern Kind of Blue’ takes almost a country, western tint, with the acoustic guitar cutting through at key moments to give us a warm, nostalgic track.
Recording the album away from one another in lockdown, the group demonstrate their
ingenuity and hunger to make music as well as showing their refusal to let the pandemic put a stop to their periodic release schedule.
‘We’ve had a lot of fun with this one’ remarks frontman, Kyle Ross. ‘Although it was
weird making it apart from one another, I think it’s been an incredibly valuable process
being able to revisit our previous work and push the boundaries of it creatively. It’s given
us the opportunity to pay homage to some influences that you might not guess from our
usual creative direction as well as create our proudest work yet’.
Above all, Fuzzy Sun value storytelling. Now, they bring that penchant for storytelling to the fore. To that end, the band urge listeners to enjoy Stories Retold in a single sitting. ‘It’s how we
built it and how we think it’s best heard’ says Kyle. ‘We value albums and the experience
that comes with listening to them. We’ve tried that concept a bit before but with
Stories Retold I think we’ve really refined it and we hope people can embrace it in
the way we’ve intended.’
TWELVE INCH 