Amy Gileadi, vocalist for Provo, Utah-based rock band Sunfall Festival, has one of those voices that has you thinking "Haven't I heard that voice somewhere before?"
It's true. On one song I'll think, "That sounds like Karen Peris of the Innocence Mission." On another song, I'll be reminded of Lucinda Williams. Then there is the undeniable comparison between Gileadi and Harriet Wheeler of the Sundays.
All of this makes me realize that Gileadi wears her influences well while also proving she has a great vocal range. Which works well with the four talented guys who back her up on guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums and play a breezy, modern folk-rock style that is fresh and crisp and very now.
And on "Bang Bang Bang," Sunfall Festival's follow-up to the well received "Monday 23," the band continues to impress with their cohesive sound and literate lyrics.
One of the album's strongest tracks, "Choose To Be," reflects Sunfall Festival's mellow and introspective side and gives each band member a chance to showcase their talents.
The title track, with its fast-slow-fast pacing and Beatlesque interludes, is a grand song while "Brother Scot" is a musical note of encouragement, a tete-a-tete with a close friend.
"Stop Me" has a melancholy and dreamy quality that somehow manages to stay grounded.
The sassy "Punish You" has a playful punchiness that is enhanced by Scott Johnson's quirky keyboard progressions.
And after the end of the last song, "We Did It," there is a hidden track worth waiting for.
And in a recent interview with the Provo Daily Herald, guitarist Scott Wiley said that the band needs to be listened to rather than played as background music.
"We're music that you can get more out of by sitting and listening to it," Wiley said.
Fans of female-fronted alt-rock bands like Frente!, Over the Rhine or Sixpence None the Richer will enjoy "Bang Bang Bang" by Sunfall Festival.
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