Label: Wicked Cool Records
Release Date: September 18, 2007
The Chesterfield Kings get frequent comparisons to the Stones in their mid-60s prime. It’s pretty accurate, because the they’re a better Stones than the Stones have been in over 30 years. But it’s also only a piece of the picture, because there are plenty of Stones knock-offs, but the Chesterfield Kings are so much more.
Psychedelic Sunrise certainly has a healthy dose of the early Rolling Stones throughout. Some tracks are pure Stones. “Spanish Sun” is painted pretty black and “Outtasite!” has “Gimme Shelter” written all over it. Most of the album isn’t so blunt though, because the Kings dig a lot deeper into the 60s. “Streaks and Flashes” has all the soothing jangle of the Byrds, albeit without the sweet harmonies. They channel Syd Barrett on “Elevator Ride.” “Inside Looking Out” dabbles in the baroque pop of the Left Banke. They fast forward just a bit to the early 70s with the glam-influenced “Up and Down” and finish up by borrowing just a bit of Alice Cooper’s prime on “Yesterday’s Sorrows” and “Dawn.” Most impressive of all is the opening track though. “Sunrise (Turn On)” is what the Moody Blues would have sounded like had they actually rocked!
It may sound like Pysychedelic Sunrise suffers from multiple personalities and struggles to find itself. Nothing could be further from the truth. It takes a lot of what was good about the sixties and distills it into a new sound. The Chesterfield Kings will save you from wearing out your old, fragile vinyl, because they’ll give you just about everything you want in a brand new package.
Rating: 8/10