Setting Sun: Fantasurreal

Setting Sun: Fantasurreal
Setting Sun is the aka for songwriter Gary Levitt. The Queens natives latest album is Fantasurreal.
The album was recorded in the seclusion of upstate New York which is not exactly ideal conditions for writing sun-soaked pop, but somehow that is what Levitt accomplished. The album’s lead single, “Make You Feel” exemplifies this. The track reminds me of the New Pornographers with its dueling male/female vocals. The female vocals on the track are contributed by Erica Quitzow. The tracks trumpet and loopy keyboard solo give the track a sunny Southern California feel.
That same feeling permeates in many of Fantasurreal‘s songs. “Into the Wire” reminds me of something off of I’m From Barcelona‘s debut album. Its driving drum beat and acoustic guitar backbone give the track a great energy. “One Time Around” sounds like Cake with its rockabilly country inspired acoustic guitar part and overlaid trumpet. The lush soundscape of “The Tree” is reminiscent of Beulah.
Though the album is quite solid, not every track is a winner. “Don’t Grow Up” is an oddly placed over-six-minute track. The fourth song on the album, the track seems to drag on pointlessly. It could have easily been a passable three minute song but instead is prolonged into a burdensome six minute track.
Overall, Setting Sun really delivers a cohesive catchy album. The album is filled with tracks that could easily be your soundtrack for a trip to the beach.
Rating: 7.3/10
MP3: Setting Sun “Into the Wire”
Buy: iTunes or Insound!