''Sun Songs'' is the 2019 debut solo album by American

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...

musician Art Alexakis, best known for fronting Everclear. The album was released by The End Records/BMG and received positive feedback from critics.

Recording and release

''Sun Songs'' was announced on early 2019 with a short promotional tour of the United States and

British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...

. The announcement coincided with Alexakis' revelation that he had been battling

multiple sclerosis Multiple (cerebral) sclerosis (MS), also known as encephalomyelitis disseminata or disseminated sclerosis, is the most common demyelinating disease, in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. This d ...

for three years, including the recording period for the album. The process of recording and the lyrical content are introspective of Alexakis' health and reflections on his family life, centering the songwriting on his vocals and

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

. Although he had never recorded solo material before, the songwriting that Alexakis did as part of his regular routine resulted in songs that he didn't want to use for Everclear and he entered the studio with a more spontaneous approach to recording.

Critical reception

The editorial staff of

AllMusic Guide AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

gave ''Sun Songs'' four out of five stars, with reviewer

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...

writing that Alexakis draws on his previous musical strength with Everclear but goes in a different direction that is more "bittersweet" without being "reflexively nostalgic" and that the artist "seems intent on not recycling his old ideas".

Track listing

All songs written by Art Alexakis #"Sunshine Love Song"– 1:50 #"California Blood"– 3:18 #"A House with a Pool"– 4:01 #"Orange"– 3:33 #"The Hot Water Test"– 4:11 #"Arizona Star"– 2:58 #"Look at Us Now"– 2:12 #"White People Scare Me"– 3:00 #"Sing Away"– 4:10 #"Line in the Sand"– 4:21 #"A Seat at the Table"– 3:29

Personnel

* Art Alexakis– guitar, vocals, drums,

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...

*Sean Carr– studio technician *Andre Duman– back cover, photography *Andreas Katsambas– executive production *Stuart Schenk–

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

, mixing, production *Adam Turner– photography

References

External links

* * {{authority control 2019 debut albums Art Alexakis albums BMG Rights Management albums The End Records albums Albums produced by Art Alexakis