On its second full-length album, Minneapolis-based foursome Sparrowhawk continues on its mission to make super-awesome rock music. I'm not one to judge an album by its cover, but it would be hard to look at Lucas Gluesenkamp's bad-ass cover art for Sunflowers in the Moonlight at not assume that the music would totally kick ass. Luckily, there's no assumption necessary in the era of streaming. But even in digital times, some albums ought to be experienced on vinyl based on how they look and sound. This is one of them!
Sparrowhawk is by no means the only indie/punk band embracing '70s arena rock, but you won't find anyone else doing it better. Following their excellent 2023 debut, Johnny Eggerman, Zach McCormick, Damien Tank, and Marty Mueller have doubled down on their love for classic rock. I was amused that the promotional email I received in the advance of the album release was sent by "Phil Lynott." If Philo was going to come back from the dead to do some publicity work, it was certainly going to be for a record like this one. This is an arena-sized rock 'n' roll long player with a punk rock heart. On this release, the band has added a touch of Allman Brothers/Molly Hatchet influence and expanded its repertoire to include ballads and rustic folk rock. Your dad or granddad would love this record, and that's not a knock. Sparrowhawk truly throws it back to a time when there was no shame in crafting a rock radio hit.
Sunflowers in the Moonlight builds on the sound and style of its predecessor. It's everything that was great about the last album and much more. The melodic rockers "Underneath the Moonlight," "Still Talk About It Now," and "Power and the Glory" will please anyone who loved the band's debut. "Blackberry Brandy" is full-on Southern rock and totally freaking excellent. "Lonesome Operator" is a splendid power ballad in the proper sense of the term. "Down the Line" is giving Stones/Faces energy, and I'm sure not complaining. The title track is earnest Americana with all kinds of scrappy charm. And what other band would think to close an album with a Western-themed eleven-minute multipart finale? That's pure genius!
Of course Sunflowers in the Moonlight rocks hard. Those harmonized lead guitars remain front and center, and these tunes will have you air-drumming like a maniac in short order. But the Midwestern soul in this music should not be sold short. The album's lyrics are heavy on storytelling and character sketches, so this is like listening to a record with the substance of a movie or short story collection. The band reunited with Andy Mathison, whose recording and mixing favors a sound that's massive but never too slick. Imagine what a king you would be if you were walking around with the Sparrowhawk logo emblazoned on the back of your denim jacket. People would see you and immediately want to hear the band that had the vision to pick such an unfuckwithable name. And one guy would be like, "I heard those guys! They did that song 'Take a Bow'!" And you'd be like, "Dude! Wait until you hear this new album!"
How do you top a big, hooky rock record? You make an even bigger, hookier rock record! The vinyl, limited to 200 copies, was pressed in Minneapolis by Outta Wax and released on the Twin Cities' own Piñata Records. In the process of bringing this album into existence, the band really showed some love to its own community. And that tells you a lot about Sparrowhawk. Grab a copy of this monster while you can!
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