While we at Everything Is Noise and our readers tend to endlessly scour the depths of the worldwide web for the next best piece of music that blows our expectations to smithereens, no matter how obscure or experimentally abstract it may be, the persistent hunt for that type of thing gets to be mentally taxing at times, especially considering the sheer amount of music out there. It is nice being able to ‘reset’, as sometimes that one thing we need is something that isn’t excessively complex but rather straight-forward and concise, and thus gratifying. On that very note, what we have for you today is an advance premiere of Shun‘s newest single, “Aviator”, and it is a dreamy groove-fest to give you that soft reset before your deep dive back into musical oblivion.
Born in the Carolinas (US), Shun is rolling out singles in anticipation of their sophomore record, Dismantle, which is set to release on July 19 via Small Stone Recordings. While their sound as a whole falls under the musical umbrella of alternative rock, you can expect healthy dosages of psych/noise/stoner rock alongside shoegaze and grunge; fans of Cave In are in for a treat! These stylistic flavors alongside succinct compositions makes for an immensely satisfying and almost hypnotic musical experience. The second single to Dismantle, “Aviator”, is direct evidence that shows that simplicity outclasses (unnecessary) complexity.
From the moment “Aviator” kicks off, you’re met with the main guitar melody that instantly latches into your temporal lobe with how infectious it is; it is as catchy, if not more so, on the twentieth listen as it is on the first. The other thing that immediately stands out at the start of the track is the stellar cymbal work that prevails through most of the song. Overall, everything is executed very cleanly, making for a mighty effective song. Guitarist/vocalist Matt Whitehead had this to say about the song-writing process for the singles released thus far:
‘The main theme for “Aviator” came from a song I had recorded on my phone in February of 2019. It always felt overly complicated and never felt as fun as I heard it in my head. Earlier this year, I took a sledgehammer to it and simplified it which seemed to give it a new life. Usually, I like to treat songs as current journal entries but this is a rare example of holding on to an idea for years until it feels right. In regards to the first single, “Drawing Names” was written in its entirety in under 30 minutes while jamming at our drummer’s house. I’ve found those quick-to-come-together songs that aren’t over-thought and overworked often turn out the best… go figure. The recording of the track was super fun and collaborative as well. I’ll never forget J. Robbins crouched down by my delay pedals turning knobs while I played one section, and then he later added a double tambourine part in the chorus which we absolutely loved.‘
Dismantle drops on July 19, so be sure to swing by Shun‘s socials (Linktree | Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp) to stay up to date on the band as more news and details become unearthed.
