The Hypnotist - EP

iTunes Review

San Francisco artist, filmmaker, author and singer Sonny Smith and his band the Sunsets play earthy garage rock touched with twangy vestiges from his solo folk recordings. The band’s debut EP The Hypnotist nicely contrasts summery front-porch acoustic jams with dirty, electric, pawn-shop guitar tones to make for a chocolate-and-peanut butter effect on the ears. The opening title track floats on a flute and some whistle solos that seep into the mix alongside hummed harmonies and endearingly sloppy, double-tracked vocals. “Mondrian” flirts with shuffling Everly Brothers rhythms while Smith sings about how his life moves in modular patterns with primary hues. The catchy “Stranded” trots with the mellow gallop of a horse-pulled carriage as Smith’s warbling croon self-harmonizes to create an intimate campfire sing-along vibe while the guitar takes a short surfy solo. The spare “Girl of the Streets” makes atmospheric use of an acoustic six-string and Smith’s falsettos doubled and drenched in reverb while he turns on the "aw-shucks" hillbilly charm to muse about a hip young girl.