Boston Manor have had a long, genre-bending journey through their discography and personal lives, with latest album Sundiver being no exception to the rule. Acting as a sequel album to their successful 2022 release Datura, Sundiver is wrapped in hope, energy and confidence as the band is seemingly reborn. Conceptually, the two albums are, quite literally, day and night from each other. Datura embodies the band’s darkest and gloomiest hours in their most hopeless night, presenting listeners with a brutally honest, hard-hitting depiction of frontman Henry Cox’s dark mental battles during and following the pandemic. On the other hand, Sundiver encompasses the light at the end of the tunnel, an album that emerges from the shadows and brings the band back into the promising daylight.
The album is initially brought to life with gentle opening track Datura (Dawn), a direct callback to their previous album Datura and signpost that this sequel album is soon to take listeners in a very new, almost polarising, direction to that of its first installment. Swelling into life with dreamy, cinematic instrumentals, Datura (Dawn) signals the blossoming of a new day, as the band leave behind the synth-heavy production and relentless melancholy of their previous album ready to embrace a much brighter and hopeful next chapter.
Container brings us back to the band’s more familiar alt-rock sound led by a sharp guitar riff and strong vocals. This track is the first display of Sundiver’s flawless, precise production as the band take us through more stripped back, suspenseful moments to reach climax after climax of each explosive chorus, even with a surprise breakdown towards the end to keep you alert. Where Datura’s production favoured a dark, synth-heavy sound, Container shows us Boston Manor in their purest form with a crystal clear production allowing each instrument to shine through. The song is daring, fearless and full of life, channeling their energetic rock elements into a much more grounded and hopeful sound than ever seen before in this band.
Sliding Doors leans into this heavier side to their sound, offering creaky vocals and crunchy guitars that gradually build into a distorted crescendo of screams and intense but catchy instrumentation. This leads us into fan (and artist) favourite, HEAT ME UP, a song that instantly screeches to life with an impenetrable wall of deep guitars, punching drums and rich baseline. A display of impressive dynamics that alternate between low, suspenseful verses, energetic choruses and intense breakdown, this track is a euphoric expression of love and appreciation to those people in your life who you feel lucky to know.
Taking the tempo back down slightly, Horses In A Dream is up next with its crunchy baseline and soft, exposed vocals. A very different feel than the songs so far, this has an almost pop-like devotion to the beat, a nod towards their seemingly-impossible variety of musical influences including *NSYNC. The vocals are delivered with a confident attitude, matched with a snappy guitar riff and catchy percussive beat.
Signaling a transition into the second half of the album is Morning Star, a short but atmospheric instrumental track of dreamy guitars against a fast drum ‘n’ bass-style percussion. Short but sweet, this quick transition is a somewhat welcome break from the high energy and a showcase of the band’s versatility as they seamlessly travel between the heavy and the lighter.
Kicking off the second half of the album with a bang, Why I Sleep brings the energy right back up, led by its sharp, biting guitar riff and layers of vocals that alternate seamlessly between screams and a cleaner tone, offering a showcase of impressive vocal range. Following closely behind is Fornix, a dark, suspenseful and catchy track that maintains the buzz of Why I Sleep while putting a slight Y2K spin on the sound they’ve curated thus far with some rough, crunchy instrumentation.
Dissolve returns to the more pop-leaning sound, coming in hard with a powerful, energetic delivery filled with attitude. A mission statement of self-growth, Dissolve delivers unwavering confidence and reassurance with lyrics that pledge to continue this journey of healing. For a change of pace and a much more somber tone, What Is Taken, Will Never Be Lost sees frontman Henry Cox confronting and processing the grief of losing his grandfather with tenderness and vulnerability, accompanied by a repetitive, melancholic guitar lick.
DC Mini concludes the album with a bang. Featuring Heriot’s Debbie Gough to add extra power and dimension to the impenetrable wall of noise this song delivers, this final track leaves a lasting impression as each musician seemingly releases any and all energy they have left from the rest of the record into this last three minutes, starting off calm and unsuspecting before diving into an endless depth of sound evidently inspired by shoegaze.
All too often, sequels fail to rise to the impossible challenge of matching the heights of their predecessors, much less exceed them. However this is exactly what Sundiver has achieved, a display of Boston Manor at their strongest that follows on perfectly from Datura while clearly establishing its strength as an independent record.
For fans of: Bring Me The Horizon, Grayscale, Trash Boat
‘Sundiver’ by Boston Manor is out now on Sharptone Records.
Words by Heather Swift
