Keith Shackleton on July 20th, 2010

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“Fever” is the sophomore album from Santa Cruz retro-rockers Sleepy Sun, seeking to build on a well-regarded debut of stoner riffage and psych-folk. Here, the band are at their best when they keep it concise: the close harmonies and crashing outro of “Freedom Line” and the buzzing contemplative “Acid Love.” “Ooh Boy” is muted, pensive and pizzicato, “Rigmaroo” a folksy ramble. But a little more stack-heeled flash or Syd Barrett whimsy would have been welcome on extended workouts like album closer “Sandstorm Woman”.  If a name producer is what it takes to both tease out their true character and push the envelope (their collaboration with UNKLE shows they can), I’m all for it.

||| Download: “Open Eyes” (via Stereogum)

||| Live: Sleepy Sun, with Miranda Lee Richards opening, plays Spaceland on Friday.

– By Keith Shackleton