Second Sun
The Lost Weekend
Ultra Records
MP3
Release date: 08 31 10

During the twilight of Watts Distribution, their website had sound samples of the current week’s music, which is how I first heard Second Sun’s ‘The Spell’. We all loved those early 12”s and the debut CD was on rotation for a long time around here. Hell, my girlfriend and I even saw them twice. They were great. So good in fact, I feared they would shed the weight of those early records and get all L.A.-coked out and deliver this, their second album. But it’s not like that. Not exactly, anyway. Second Sun admit they wanted to “incorporate more house-based dance beats into [their] sound” but the result is the band forgoing much of the progressive vibe of their earlier work to the more accessible house style presented here. This isn’t exactly news. If you haven’t been paying attention, the band’s been busy with this ‘new’ style for a few years now. All the band’s recent singles are here: the Ibiza-meets-Tenaglia ‘Golden’, ‘Doing It Well’, ‘We Own The Night’ and the Tears For Fears-channeling ‘Fire & Water’ (for even more egregious Tears For Fears channeling, check ‘Savior’). Also, their ‘07 collabo with Cedric Gervais is given a facelift here in the form of ‘More Pills’. There are moments on this album where instrumentalist Adam Cavaluzi wants to rip and take a more subjective journey but there is a blueprint that must be followed. Many of the sounds in the vocal tracks are gonna be familiar from any house party you went to in the last 18 months. It’s a safe bet for this sophomore attempt, which usually wastes EDM acts, but Second Sun maintain and will probably find a shitload of new fans for it. A debauched night out with big sunglasses, hard bodies and VIP bottle service. 6/10

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