The Sun Kings – Karma
It’s funny, but… Well, the artwork and opening lines of The Sun Kings’ Karma seem to reveal a group just trying to figure out how to work their love of dark comedy within their arena-sized Brit-Pop made in New Zealand. The song is called Karma, and the artwork features the picture of a crushed auto vehicle. Get it? Get it?
The storytelling that sits at the heart of the writing is quick, though, to inform us that Biblical justice wasn’t served this time around and that nobody died in the crash. With the knowledge that we’re not rejoicing someone’s untimely death, we press on and continue stomping our feet.
The melodic, angry in spite of itself pop tune, takes its cues from the golden age of 90s pop-rock singles. It’s rocking but easy on the ears, with hooks that could fill out a small club or a stadium. It’s the kind of Noel Gallagher song he may have written about his brother but then decided that performing it himself might give people false hopes of a reunion.
All in all, after being informed that there’s no need to feel remorseful, we enjoyed Karma like we would a classic, 90s rock single.
Single By Sunday – Helter Skelter
It’s hard to know what to believe of world-renowned terrible tragedies. To misquote one moustached serial-killer that lead Russia, the death of many is a statistic. Possibly we feel the same of the tragedy of few as long as it’s an event of some same.
Taking the Manson family murders and turning them into teenage fun could be seen as crude. It is. But, it’s also honesty if you’ve hung around with teenagers or have been one yourself. Let’s face it. Youth always has a fascination with rock, sex, and violence.
Single By Sunday’s Helter Skelter is a bubblegum-horror tune featuring the sweetest of vocals, a fascination with grotesque violence, and, quite possibly, the ear for creating a hit. Not everyone is looking for songs about lounging out on the beach, and Single By Sunday are only too happy to oblige.
