Something New, Something Different 

New York band Sunflower Bean released their new album Headful of Sugar on May 6th, 2022. Band members include Julia Cumming on bass and lead vocals, Nick Kivlen on guitar and backup vocals and Olive Faber controls the drums. They have toured as openers for the likes of Wolf Alice, the Pixies and Foxygen. 

The opening song on the album, “Who Put You Up to This?” starts ethereal and builds up instrumentally. Vocally, Cumming’s voice is reminiscent of Cocteau Twins’ vocals in “Seas Swallow Me,” while the instrumentals resemble patterns in my bloody valentine’s “When You Sleep.” The guitar solos are short, but powerful in “Who Put You Up to This?” 

Emotionally, the previously mentioned track along with “Headful of Sugar” and “Beat the Odds” evoke driving down the road—any road—with friends at the dusk of a hot summer’s day. 

“Headful of Sugar” starts off with a funky beat. Guitar solos are bigger than life. Its ethereality fits well for its near-summer release. “Beat the Odds” once again follows a similar tone, but features an even more aggressive guitar, almost drawing up a Kings Of Leon-type comparison. The beat of the song is much quicker and more intense than others. Tension is built up quickly in the beginning and then breaks.  

“I Don’t Have Control Sometimes” is poppy and upbeat; almost cheerful and twee. Background vocals produce “oohs” and “ahhs,” supporting the lead. 

“Post Love” takes a different turn with a disco-type feel. The lyrics, “I don’t want to give in to that night/I don’t want to learn what another body likes/I don’t want to wrong when it feels so right.” inspires electronic dance music, but make it 2008 inspired. Vocally it sounds a bit like Canadian singer-songwriter Fiest. 

Overall, Headful of Sugar easily becomes addictive to listen to. With each listen, you want to come back to it over and over again. Previous albums such as Show Me Your Seven Secrets and Human Ceremony incorporate surfer, grunge-like themes with a modern, indie take. This album is a bit heavier in terms of guitar and incorporates electronic 2008 indie inspirations, resulting in an exciting and addicting new release from Sunflower Bean.