Sonic City

S/T
Independent

The first thing I thought when I listened to Sonic City's self-titled debut album was, "Pretty good guitar riffs, decent singing. Not bad for a first instalment." Then I visited the band's website and was blown away by what I read.

Lead guitarist, Danny Sveinson, is a 12-year-old. Not just any 12-year-old, as the band's fans can probably attest to, but an off-the-roof-talented kid and star-in-the-making who has brought the album to life with his non-apologetic, bold playing. Later I listened to the disc again, paying more attention to the background music this time (as opposed to the lyrics and rhythms) and was even more impressed. Forget about slowly making your way to the top. This could be it.

The Vancouver band consists of Sveinson, vocalist Rod Burn, drummer Dean Richards, and bassists Matt Grose and James Green, coming together to make a strong entrance into the Canadian music industry. Sveinson, dubbed by locals as "The Rock and Roll Kid" since he was ten, has already opened up for an impressive lineup of big-name acts like Colin James and April Wine.

‘Stay With Me’ is the album’s first single, and appears twice on the disc, once as the original cut and then as the radio edit. Both versions are just as good, and prove it is clearly a good pick to help accelerate this debut.

Needless to say, those who enjoy alternative rock will not be disappointed with this album, which runs smoothly from beginning to end.

Source: SceneandHeard.ca, Volume 6 Issue 4