What do you get when you cross Billy Idol's drummer, a former
guitarist with the Smithereens, an ethereal vocalist whose work was
profoundly affected by the death of her parents, and one of LL Cool
J's producers? Well, you either get a really weird joke, or you get
Sun Palace, one of the acts getting some critical notice in the US
Northeast. Sun Palace now has a debut CD available,
Into Heaven, and it's….interesting. (Sorry, I know
it's an overused term, but it fits.)
Sun Palace is definitely an acquired taste. Superficially, they fall somewhere between the Cowboy Junkies and Enya; lead vocalist Andriette Redmann has an understated, soft, and breathy voice similar to Margo Timmins, albeit better articulated. Sun Palace's sound is similar to the Junkies as well; a lot of understated guitar work, blended instrumental sound, and even, smooth tempos. This is not exactly musical espresso here; it's more like caffeine-free herb tea.
Given that caveat, it's decent herb tea. The musicianship on this CD is first rate; the guitar work of Danny Kelly and former Smithereens member John D. Rokosny is excellent, drummer Mark Brotter has a nice touch with his cymbal- and snare-driven sound, and the other musicians blend into a seamless whole behind Redmann's clear, crystalline vocals.
The problem, though -- and there is one, DV Faithful -- is that it's TOO seamless. Sun Palace is, at times, kinda dull. There are some notable exceptions -- "There Once Was A Time", the complex synthesizer lines of "My Fortune", the Waterboys-like horn line on "Are You Thinking Of Me", and a pretty good cover of Jethro Tull's "Skating Away (On The Thin Ice Of A New Day)" -- but frankly there really needed to be less perfect elegance and a bit more grit on this CD. Redmann has stated that the songs on Into Heaven were inspired by the sudden death of her parents. I can empathize, having lost both parents myself, but I feel like perhaps Redmann is distancing herself from the pain she feels. A bit more honest emotion might have turned what is, at times, a good CD into an excellent one.
Sun Palace is worth looking into; they're a good band, and I suspect they're going to get better. But on a fundamental level, Into Heaven never quite fulfills the promise inherent in the band.