The band will unveil new tunes Jan. 14.
Madison power trio Sunspot debuts Wilderness of Almost Was and Never Were on Jan. 14 at the Frequency, the group’s first release on Dartboard Records. It’s a follow-up to 2016’s EP American Monsters and the MAMA-winning LP Weirdest Hits.
The EP is a hooky three-song release that treads variations on Sunspot’s driving, electro-rock sound.
Wilderness of Almost Was and Never Were kicks off with its eponymous track, a catchy, anthemic consideration of friends who chose to settle down — or just settle — rather than pursue their passions. The tune is powerful, reminiscent of late-era Green Day, and vocalist/bassist Mike Huberty keeps the song pulsing while hooking into harmonized fills on the edges.
The heaviest track on the EP, “Shadow,” leads immediately with chugging guitar triplets from Ben Jaeger and drummer Wendy Staats’ hard, barreling beat. The song about a friend struggling with addiction meets its emotional crescendo with a satisfying power-metal solo from Jaeger.
The EP closes with “Sulfur,” an electro-pop meditation on judgment, forgiveness and self-righteousness. “Be careful what you burn,” Huberty warns over swollen synth pads and claps, “’cause all you’ll taste is the sulfur of how right you thought you were.”
Wilderness of Almost Was and Never Were is bigger and catchier and, to its benefit, deals with more personal subject matter than the anxious anthems of American Monsters. Cherry Pit Studios in Menomonee Falls produced the tracks, which have more space to breathe than previous releases and nicely emphasize Sunspot’s anthemic tendencies and live-band instincts.
