Sundae Painters. The Sundae Painters

Where I wrote yesterday about the soft psychedelia reminding me of music from around 1970, The Sundae Painters go straight for the jugular with its The Velvet Underground inspired music. This comes as close to the real thing as can be imagined.

Four musical friends gathered on New Zealand's south island and started to make some music together. The first song was released during the pandemic and from there more individual songs and an EP were released, until in November of last year the band's debut album saw the light of day.

The Sundae Painters is Kaye Woodward, Alec Bathgate, Paul Kean and Mr. Choo Choo aka Hamish Kilgour, who play or played in bands called The Bats, The Clean, Tall Dwarfs and Toy Love. Some known by me, some not. Together they explore music from the past, to turn it into something new and original. The band totally succeeds in this quest as the music is as old as it is fresh. The inspiration was found over half a century ago, the search for modern sounds, and finding them, is what makes Sundae Painters such a fresh sounding album.

Although adding up the bands mentioned shows they are active well over a century, you can't tell on the basis of the enthusiasm coming from the album. The musicians clearly enjoy making music together and inspired one another to draw out the best in them. One song may be better than the other, there is certainly a difference here, it is not because of the lack of fun they have and the ideas in all songs.

As I started out, The Velvet Underground is the basis of all on Sundae Painters. The way the guitars are strummed, the Moe Tucker style of drumming, the John Cale inspired weirdness of sounds, barring his utter madness deranging a song, it's all here. What makes the difference is the modernity of the instruments and the way they are used.

There is one downside for The Sundae Painters. I know The Velvet Underground for something like 40 years. Their best songs are in my DNA, as they call it. That position this album can never reach anymore. Does it tickle my Velvet Underground fancy, oh, yes, in abundance. This scores points alright. Fans of VU know what to do.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order Sundae Painters here:

https://sundaepainters.bandcamp.com/album/sundae-painters