Live Review: Sunflower Bean in Brighton

Being hailed as New York’s hottest new thing ain’t something any baby band should or could take lightly. Sunflower Bean are undoubtedly worthy however. They’re as sparkly and important as any naively ambitious three-piece that has come before them. There’s the bewildering assuredness of the three young members, Julia Cumming, Nick Kivlen and Jacob Faber, the intuitive playing, Julia’s chaotic charm as a front woman and Nick’s captivating guitar playing.

Upstairs from one of Brighton’s livelier pubs, the popular Hare and Hound, is the rather well kept secret venue, Bleach. Not having heard the album prior to seeing the band helped with a clean slate, I had no expectations, other than wanting to be mildly entertained and hopeful of a catchy melody or three. What I got was an intense, explosive and innovative mishmash of power indie pop (Come On) hints of 70s moodiness aka Pink Floyd (Human Ceremony) and psychedelic joyfulness (This Kind of Feeling).

It’s hard to imagine a band like this could get beyond the nonsensical web of industry bullshit, but if any band could reign with sheer precociousness and vision, I believe Sunflower Bean could. They tick all the Vice generation boxes: 1) They kick ass and look like they couldn’t give a shit if you care or not 2) They look like an indie inspired Marc Jacobs campaign (in fact Julia models part time for Saint Laurent amongst others) and 3) the music is interesting enough to suggest a kind of musical progression rarely come by.

Bright, bold and provocative, with any luck Sunflower Bean are a three-piece that might just weave their way through that tangled web.

Review by Golden Lady.