Stoner-inspired rock n roll is what’s suggested from Norway’s Suncraft, who have been doing their thing since 2017. Originality is never guaranteed but my experience of Norwegian bands of this kind usually means something interesting so although I didn’t know the band, I had fairly high hopes for this one.
My initial reaction when I started to listen to the riff of the opening title song was that I was listening to Canned Heat. The melody expands, always to a punching beat. The vocals are lofty and have a psychedelic air to them. This is indeed foot-tapping, well-constructed rock n roll. That drum keeps driving us along. The guitar is that of classic rock. The song is fresh. “Space Buddha” then regales us with its fuzzy, groove-laden line. It’s not a complex song but it heats the beat, and to borrow the band’s own adjective, it’s got a playful element to it. So too “Lingo Hive Mind” takes us back in time with its sharp psychedelic groove, and heavy stoner melody. Added energy and heaviness make up “Commie Cannibals”, a song with driving melody and pungent doom. Powerful riffs make up the start of “Adaptation” before a dreamy late Beatles style section. This was welcome as although there is power and drive, I was starting to find these songs quite similar. Another dreamy passage makes another welcome intervention. I could feel the woozy, misty air. The final piece is the 10 minute “Bridges to Nowhere”. The build up is strong and patient. The rest is intense like a stiff breeze and an energetic display of the impressive dark and heavily melodious force to which I had become accustomed over the 36 minutes of this album.
“Flat Earth Rider” is a collection of unpretentious, classic hard rock songs. I can imagine a good night out listening to this, as Suncraft invite us in and play with our senses.
(8/10 Andrew Doherty)
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