If you’re searching for something bright and energetic on this dreary fall day, look no further than the debut single from Sunset Honor Unit. It’s an invigorating slice of sunny beachside pop featuring surf-inflected guitars and a non-stop onslaught of infectious hooks and harmonies. Given the group’s founders and primary songwriters—Drew Kirby (ex-Mothers, New Wives, Twen) and Jacob Chisenhall (Delorean Gray, ex-Fake Flowers)—it’s no surprise that the fledgling outfit wears their Beach Boys love firmly on their sleeves. But as it turns out, they’ve got more than a few tricks hidden up there, too.
While Kirby and Chisenhall first started trading songs back in 2017, it took a few years for the project to fully come together. Drummer Dariush Mirsajedin (Delphinium) was the first to join, followed later by bassist Noah Estrella. After constructing the framework for their debut EP, the foursome gathered at Chisenhall’s grandparent’s old house—a cabin on Lake Martin in Eclectic, AL—to track the record. A short while later Jason Bronson started working with the band, adding keys to the EP and solidifying Sunset Honor Unit’s final lineup.
Originally written and performed during Chisenhall’s tenure in Fake Flowers, “Drift” never made it to the recording studio and was almost forgotten. Fortunately, however, the song stuck with Kirby who breathed new life into the track by reworking its instrumental sections and adding an array of new guitars parts and three-part harmonies. The end result is fast-paced and deliriously catchy. Rhythmically, it shifts spryly between classic surf, post-British Invasion garage-pop, and an almost prog-like affinity for dexterous runs. But what really stands out are the vocals. Kirby and Chisenhall know how to bend and stretch a good melody, and the harmonies they generate beam out of your speakers like so many sun-kissed waves crashing on the shore. Which is a bit ironic considering the negative circumstances that inspired the song.
“It’s about my struggles balancing friendships and my responsibility to others,” Chisenhall reveals. “I’m kinda scolding myself for oscillating between a drip-feed of emotional availability for others, and turning on the waterworks when I need something. The chorus is about oversharing in those instances.”
As a first taste, “Drift” sparkles with bright intensity. But listeners should be forewarned that there is a lot more to come from Sunset Honor Unit, and this is but one small portion of their eclectic sound.
“Musically, [‘Drift’] was inspired by early Beach Boys and Beatles records where the stacked harmony vocals take charge through the entire track,” Chisenhall says. “It’s the fastest song on the record, and also the only one that has this sort of straightforward energy. I’m sure some folks will hear this first song and think we’re a surf-oriented pop band, but this group is all about dabbling with different flavors, so don’t let it fool ya. There are murky ballads, lounge-pop love songs, psych-bossa, and country-bop musings if you stick around to hear the rest.”
Listen below.
Sunset Honor Unit is out Nov. 19 via Marching Banana.
More Info
Bandcamp: shuatl.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @sunsethonorunit
Instagram: @sunsethonorunit
Soundcloud: @shuatl