Young Suns is heavy. They are also beautiful. This dichotomy is what makes them an excellent band. The Buffalo four-piece, comprised of guitarists Ryan Higgins and Dan Moscov, bassist Ron Hensberry, and drummer Adam Lilley, play expansive instrumental songs that bring to mind other ambience-rockers in Explosions in the Sky or Russian Circles. Seeing as how they are an instrumental band, the comparisons to other instrumental bands are inevitable, but Young Suns are a unique breed. Their songs would and could work well with a vocalist, they just choose not to have one. Listeners are rewarded with an interesting experience - the opportunity to listen to a passionate collection of songs without the distraction of lyrics.
Their 7-song, self-titled EP is a collection of powerful crescendos and dark ambience, starting off with the discordant "AB AETERNO." Immediately, Young Suns introduces their deep, distorted baritone guitars and huge drums. "AB AETERNO" is a menacing introduction to an album full of similar, brutal but not-too-violent tunes. One of my favorite parts of this album is the abrupt change from "AB AETERNO" to the fast-paced opening riff of "TITANS." I wasn't expecting the one-two punch between the songs, but it helped me realize that Young Suns knows how to keep your mood elevated.
One of my personal favorite tracks on Young Suns is "FROM THE ASHES RISE THE PHOENIX." If I had to pick a song that perfectly describes what Young Suns is all about, this would be the one. Trying to assign a feeling to a wordless song is a challenge I don't often face, but Young Suns are able to stir something up in me. I can't quite put my finger on it so I'll try to put it into some sort of awful metaphor - it's kind of like the background music in scary movies where it wouldn't be the same without it. Young Suns is the background music to my angst - they are able to intensify the way I feel about a particular problem or situation. They don't necessarily tell me how to feel with words, but I do find that their music has the potential to alter moods.
I also have to hand it to Young Suns for not taking the absence of a vocalist as license to let loose and fill their music with a thousand face-melting (no pun intended, Young Suns) riffs. I agree that there is a time and a place for that, but instead, Young Suns treats us to a variety of pleasant guitar riffs and dark moods with an emphasis on ambience. In "CRESYL VIOLET STAIN" for instance - the song is full of riffs, but none that challenge the inherent sense of melody that carries through the entire song. Even when the riffs get pretty heavy, like the infinite delay on the lead guitar at the end of "ROBOT PARADE," everything just sounds impressive and expressive. The lack of self-indulgence on Young Suns is refreshing.
In my personal opinion, I find that instrumental bands have the tendency to "noodle" too much. Before you know it, songs are hitting that drawn-out eight minute mark where you are looking forward to the end of the song instead of living in the moment like the artist was hoping you would. Young Suns songs rarely breach the four-minute mark, so it isn't a chore to sit down and listen to them. What makes things interesting is that there is never an opportunity to sit down and dwell on anything for too long - many times their songs come and go so quickly that they warrant many more listens to truly grasp.
The one time Young Suns does happen to hit the seven minute mark is the incredible "AD INFINITUM." This song has it all. It's one emotionally brilliant breakdown after another. Every time I thought the song was winding down, it crescendoed into another huge wall of sound or some more urgent ambience. That's the power of Young Suns, they can't tell me what to expect with lyrics, so I just listen and let the music speak for itself.
http://youngsuns.bandcamp.com/