Daughters of the Sun - Rings

Daughters of the Sun
Rings (Modern Radio, 2009)
Grade: B+

Download: Daughters of the Sun - "Gong the Divider"

Short Take: If can buy only one album this year with fifteen minutes of field recordings from India, make it this one.

Long Take: And therein lies both the problem and the . After 2007's masterful, sorely underrated confection of pop-psychedelia Visions of the Ocean Head, the MPLS-based quartet have done what any reasonably forward-thinking would do: experiment further with their sound, and with more open-ended song structures. At first, the lack of another "Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board" or "4am Astral Projector" seems disappointing.

But at its best, Rings is the kind of adventurous second album whose pleasures slowly reveal themselves over multiple listens, especially the ethereal soundscapes of "Right On" and "Meditations." Of course, some artistic diversions are better than others (have I mentioned the 15 minute field recordings yet?). Still, by the time that the closing title track reaches its rousing climax, Daughters of the Sun have more than proven themselves to worth successors to the psychedelic throne.

The record release party for Rings is tonight at the Hexagon Bar. Opening are Vampire Hands and Leisure Birds.

Daughters of the Sun MySpace Page

(Jon Graef)