With full reckless abandon, Southern California trio Sun Room have released their latest EP Can’t Explain via AWAL. Sonically sitting somewhere between Beatlemania, a Nuggets compilation, and modern surf-punk, the four-song offering sees Sun Room beginning to morph their sound. While holding onto elements of their signature ’60s inspired charm, they also step into new genres informed by the bands they’ve spent the last three years on the road with.
Produced by Jarvis Taveniere (Allah-Las, The Avalanches), longtime collaborator Jonny Bell (The Gun Club, Chicano Batman) and LA super-duo SameSame (Beyoncé, Cage The Elephant), it’s a no brainer that new influences have seeped into the Sun Room psyche.
Opening up with the EP’s title track, the band takes more of a blues rock approach. Mellowing out their classic beachy harmonies while sprinkling in jazzier elements, this one is a creeper before lead singer Luke Asgian unleashes his scream. The most shoegaze-y, grunge sound we’ve heard from Sun Room yet, the droning second track “Bouquet” feels like a medicinally distorted haze.
Traveling from their home of the beach quite literally to the city for “Get Me Outta New York City,” Sun Room dials things up just to spite anyone who has pigeonholed them to one specific regional sound. And closing the EP with the reverse of a love song, “Hate It When You Call” is cheeky and instantly a feel-good listen. The band shared that they created this one with the intention of making people dance and mosh. Their goal is for dance clubs to have more rock options to add to their rotation, knowing it will still keep bodies moving.
“This EP is the most excited we’ve been for a release,” shares Asgian. “It’s kind of the first time we didn’t worry about having to write within a certain sub-genre. We just got in the garage and tried to make the best rock and roll songs we could. Touring the past few years with so many cool acts from the UK, Ireland and Australia opened our eyes to a bunch of bands and sounds we were unfamiliar with growing up in Southern California. They introduced us to all the bands they grew up with and influenced them and kind of re-inspired us all over again to be playing in a rock and roll band.”
Are you going to be adding Sun Room’s Can’t Explain to your rotation?
