A hauntingly majestic follow-up to her 2023 breakthrough album.
Having released one of the best albums of 2023 with “Anarchist Gospel”, Sunny War (a.k.a. Sydney Ward) spent much of the following year on the road, opening for a range of established acts with an eclectic mix of musical roots, including Bonnie Raitt, Mitski, Iron & Wine, as well as Sarah Shook & the Disarmers. The album would eventually appear in numerous ‘Best Of The Year’ lists positioning Sunny as one of the most vital voices in roots music today. So it comes as little surprise that the pending release of her new album “Armageddon In A Summer Dress”, has caused such a great deal of excitement in many quarters.
Produced like its predecessor by Andrija Tokie, “Armageddon In A Summer Dress”, expands on the former’s stripped-back production, where its acoustic vibe highlighted the eclectic mix of blues, gospel, and soul, that perfectly suited that relatively sparse arrangement. This time round the emphasis has clearly been on a bigger-sounding record, more akin to a five-piece rock band, with a clear intention to push the musical boundaries, showing little or no regard for genres or labels, determined to work outside her comfort zone. If there is one similarity to its predecessor it is the impressive list of collaborators. Whereas “Anarchist Gospel”, boasted contributions from such A-Listers as Jim James, Allison Russell, and David Rawlings, this new album benefits from the assistance from among others, Crass frontman Steve Ignorant, Tré Burt, and Valerie June.
The album opener, ‘One Way Train’, sees Sunny War revisiting her punk rock roots, with its energetic and edgy guitar playing proving the perfect conduit for an anti-establishment narrative craving for a post-greed planet. The rebellious spirit is maintained on track two ‘Bad Times’, but here the guitars compete with a wash of keyboards to create a kaleidoscopic sound. The soothing ‘Rise’, offers respite from the previous lyrical angst with its gorgeous soulful lilt delivering a shaft of light before ‘Ghosts’, inspired by a period living in her late father’s house, constantly crosses musical boundaries, blending blues with stylised pop and haunting harmonies.
Sunny War has gone on record as stating that punk rockers Crass were among her all-time favourite bands and wrote the following track ‘Walking Contradiction’, especially for lead singer Steve Ignorant, who shares vocal duties on this track. Here the narrative’s scathing portrayal of late-capitalist America is delivered with a venomous scowl as it constantly wrestles with the ominous chord changes on the organ, both engulfed in some sinister blues melody. Incredibly powerful, and wonderfully delivered. After such an anarcho-punk anthem, ‘Cry Baby’, offers a sense of therapeutic calm, with its joyous vocal interplay between Sunny War and Valerie June producing a gorgeous soulful vibe against a lazy percussive backbeat that conjures up an image of warmer and sunnier climes.
The banjo-speckled groove on ‘No One Calls Me Baby’, recalls the roots flavour of the previous album, though even here the tension that builds through the refrain suggests something greater, more powerful, that fully enhances the personal statement in the narrative, while ‘Scornful Heart’, with its vocal contribution from Trê Burt, skips effortlessly to a laid back groove. ‘Gone Again’ delivers a lugubrious vision of ageing and death, offering up the line for the album’s title, while ‘Lay Your Body’, with its bright lines against a melancholic blues strut, finds Sunny War bemoaning a misspent life following rules, projecting her frustrations on those around her. The album closes with the delightful ‘Debbie Downer’, awash with Saharan Blues guitar and African rhythms that transports the listener across the oceans, while the infectious and joyous vocals that urges one to live life on your own terms, calling out all the doom merchants, draws comparison to the most recent release from the previously mentioned Allison Russell.
With “Armageddon In A Summer Dress”, Sunny War has clearly moved on from the sparse, roots-infused vibe of her previous album with its brooding narratives haunted by break-ups and death. Instead, by using a much broader palette sonically, reconnecting with her punk roots, and embracing a kaleidoscopic sound that shows scant regard for labels or genres, she has positively pushed her musical boundaries whilst still retaining her nouveau beatnik credentials. If “Anarchist Gospel”, was truly Sunny War’s breakthrough album, then “Armageddon In A Summer Dress”, most definitely sees her taking her rightful place at the top table.
