Having made their live debut about two years ago, local rock act Sonoi are now ready to release their self-titled debut album. Sonoi is Chicago musician Adam Busch’s new project, and features members of two other acts, Manishevitz and The Curious Digit. Their new album spends 51 minutes showcasing both a familiar rock and roll side and a chilled out, atmospheric side that combine to create a record that’s both inviting and quite interesting.

Sonoi can be neatly divided into two parts: the first seven songs and the last five. The first half (excluding the jazzy and quiet interlude “R Pryor 1”) consists of straightforward rock songs. It’s a familiar sound you’ll find on tracks like “Clouds” and “Sherry Fall.” These first few songs are the album’s accessible and welcoming introduction: traditional sounding rock tunes that offer few surprises but keep a lively pace and provide a nice in to the album. I don’t mean to say these tracks are unimaginative or unoriginal, there are lots of cool sounds and ideas at work here (check the jazz horns on “Angeline” and the aforementioned “R Pryor 1”), and these songs are exceptionably listenable and easy to dig.

Then comes “Anchor Tattoo,” the album’s 11 minute centerpiece that kicks off the record’s quieter, more experimental second half. This is where things get really chilled out, even ambient at certain points. I don’t mean to sound like I’m picking a favorite half of the record, but the second section is certainly the more interesting and inviting portion. “Anchor Tattoo” drifts along slowly for its impressive runtime, featuring lazy, fuzzy vocals here and there, and hazy instrumental passages full of beeps and gurgles filling the gaps between them. It’s an interesting piece that sets the vibe for the tracks that follow it.

From here on out it’s the slow, laid back tunes which I enjoyed just playing in the background. This is certainly a less accessible set of tracks that took me longer to get my head around than the openers, but it was cool over time to hear all the textures and layers at work in these closing numbers. “Framed” and “Rotativa” are similarly blissful pieces that represent the most inviting and pleasant moments here, and they’re both competent ambient pieces featuring lots of different instrumentation that gets layered and played with in interesting ways.

Sonoi closes with what I think is the most experimental and odd sounding piece on the whole album (not a criticism). “Friends in Dry Places” is a collage of ambient sounds (distant metallic clanking/banging etc.) anchored by a looping string arrangement. Like a lot of the second half songs, there is a lot going on here, and I liked picking out all the sounds. This track represents the most cavalier and non-traditional use of various noises and instruments the record has to offer, and it closes out the album well.

So there you have it, a tale of two sounds. Sonoi obviously have a lot of ideas and the experience to implement them, and they certainly weren’t adverse to giving two wildly different styles a try on one album. Both styles work fine and they coexist with ease. I don’t know if Sonoi will choose to take their rock side, their experimental side, neither, or both along with them to future endeavors, but I’m sure whatever they choose will work out just fine.

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Catch Sonoi‘s Record Release Party on Friday, May 14, at The Empty Bottle!
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Sonoi – “Framed”

framed from Joy Whalen on Vimeo.