CD REVIEWS

By Barry Andrews from Manchester, England on 26th Apr 2005

General Comments
Let Green Day soak in the all of the praise for their political attack on the Iraq War; being on a major label and already having multi-platinum discs under your belt will lead to more press praise than a much smaller and virtually unknown but far better post-punk combo can acquire.

Hailing from the American South, Sunny So Brite easily outdo Green Day's glossy anti-Bush protests with "The New American Century," which sounds like a psychedelic makeover of Fugazi. From a lyrical standpoint, it's certainly easier to understand what Green Day is singing on "American Idiot." However, Sunny So Brite's oddly shaped musical compositions stretch the intellect with greater force.

"Secrets Under Scars" is a real flamethrower and should hook youngsters expecting a less mentally challenging listen. They're in for a shock. "The New American Century" rocks the brain while making you clench your fists.

By Entertainmentinuk.com/Elizabeth Pangan

From the clever names of the songs alone - "Secrets Under Scars," "The Screen Actors Guilt" - there's no reason to believe that Sunny So Brite are yet another generic American band. Sure enough, the group does not disappoint, piecing together a strange blend of futurist rock and emo that could've been pretentious in less capable hands. Visiting their site, it seems as if the band has been around a few years, which isn't shocking considering how altogether The New American Century sounds. This is the kind of record, such as Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, the Smiths' Meat Is Murder, or Radiohead's OK Computer, that is greater than the sum of its parts. You simply have to listen to it all the way through, absorbing its subtleties and curveball directions. At the risk of influencing people to skip tracks, I'm not naming any particular favorites. Think of The New American Century as a novel - no chapter-skipping here, folks.