Reveiw: Sundiver delivers "Serious Rock Album"
Record Review: “Orion” by Sundiver
By Jim Drake
It’s not like I’m keeping track, but my recent official “CD Count” came out to 3,605.
Ok, I’m keeping track.
And truthfully, that number surprised me. When I look at my homemade shelving filled to the brim with rock, jazz, bluegrass, and classical discs I don’t see in terms of “thousands.” But, the collection extends into various cabinets and other cubbyholes, keeping a good portion of discs out of sight, perhaps subliminally telling me that it’s OK to go out and search for more music to bring home.
These details about my multi-decades long obsession with recorded music should tell you one thing about me: I’ve opened up a lot of CD cases.
I mean, I’ve opened so many, that it’s really not surprising to me when I open a used CD case and have it fall apart in my hands. Or have the disc immediately fall out because the plastic center is broken. Sometimes, the wrong disc is in there.
But a funny thing happened when my copy of “Orion” from Gorge indie rock band Sundiver arrived in the mail, somewhere in the 2020 mid-pandemic lockdown timeframe.
Sundiver’s Aaron Seymour
I opened up the nicely shrink-wrapped package, and my first, immediate gut reaction was:
“Oh crap, they forgot to put a CD in here.”
I recall the wave of disappointment that day. You see, fairly early in 2019, Sundiver started a Kickstarter campaign for funds to record an album, an album that bandleader and lead singer Aaron Seymour said would be “an independent fan-based supported project.”
Over 100 people supported the campaign.
Although the funding was successful, as well as were a few promotional gigs to get the word out - the ensuing months followed by the lockdown understandably stymied a fast turn-around of creating a record.
And after such a long wait, I couldn’t believe they forgot the disc.
Or, maybe they just forgot my disc.
And then, fortunately, I took another look.
It turns out that the printed artwork inside: a backdrop of stars, star clusters, and galaxies, was so seamless between the left and right insides of the case, I thought I was looking at the background art visible through the clear plastic, instead of the actual CD.
And then, after questioning my current eyeglass prescription, I finally had the CD out of the package.
Cover of the new album Orion from Gorge Indie Rock band Sundiver.
The music
The first thing I need to say about “Orion”: This is a serious rock album.
The themes to these nine original songs run the gamut from surviving the ominous prospect of war, to the psychology of relationships, to appreciating the simple beauty of the moon and stars.
I can’t get over how well this album is mixed. The vocals are upfront, the music has power, interesting dynamics, and the guitars - both electric and acoustic - are well defined without being overpowering. Once I started reading the lyrics, I found myself drawn into the songs.
The album’s most radio-friendly track is “205,” a nod to driving down Oregon’s I-205 on a cold, icy night, trying to make sense of a relationship that could in fact be a dream.
To me, lead singer Aaron Seymour has truly found a way to translate the lyrics put down on paper into well-crafted songs. Whether he’s holding a word for several measures at the end of a line or using an echo effect for a transitional passage, I’m appreciating the grit and honesty that I hear in the phrasing. He’s not holding back, and the rest of the band seems to be able to feed off of that.
Lyrically, Sundiver seems to have stumbled on a formula that gets the most mileage out of a minimum of words.
For instance, the opening track, “Ambassador of the Divine,” is only two paragraphs. But musically, these phrases effectively get woven and repeated, making it feel like you’re getting your money’s worth.
At an average of five minutes, Sundiver’s songs are beyond the typical pop song structure, but they never venture into extended jam territory. They’re getting their point across and it works.
After seeing this band live, and now being able to listen to this album, I can say that listening to Sundiver on CD is an eye-opening and thought-provoking experience. The quality of the recording is remarkable, and the songs truly capture the inspiration that went into making the record.
Sundiver is:
Don Buchana: Guitar
Scott Byrd: Lead Guitar
Steve May: Drums
Ryan McAlexander: Bass
Aaron Seymour: Lead Vocals
Connect with the band at https://www.facebook.com/sundiverband/
For more than 10 years, Jim Drake’s Entertainment Blog ran in The Hood River News, covering the Gorge music and arts scene with in-depth interviews and live music photography. This is his first album review.
