sonoi

The s/t debut from the experimental pop trio Sonoi is set for worldwide release on the independent record label Meno Mosso on April 27 2010. The album was engineered and produced by Michael Krassner (Blues Oblique, Boxhead Ensemble) at Clava in the band’s hometown of Chicago, IL.

At times floating out of the ether with the familiarity of forgotten Sunday mornings-while at others pounding out textured, thumping pop-the sound of Sonoi might be difficult to describe, but that’s precisely what makes it so appealing.

Adam Busch (Guitars and Vocals) and Ryan Hembrey (Bass guitar and Keyboards) are both veterans of the Chicago rock scene. Busch is best known for his group Manishevitz and their reformulation of English art-pop on such albums as City Life (2003) and East to East (2007). Hembrey, whose tenure in Manishevitz began in 2000, has also recorded and played with Edith Frost, Andrew Bird, and Smog. Relative newcomer Pierce Doerr, whose compositions have been featured on This American Life, rounds out the trio on drums.

While the echoes of these past projects shine through in much of their work, what’s most exciting is the depth of the sonic palette. This depth is evident in a song like “Sherry Fall.” It starts off a straight-ahead pop song, punctuated by Busch’s evocative phrasing, but in minutes transforms into a near motorik groove. Like many Sonoi songs, it makes one believe in pop music again. Even more adventurous is “Framed.” Drifting into view with hovering guitar, lazy horns, and scattered snare drum, the song eventually meets up some sparse lyrical imagery before flute and horns quietly come to the fore, beautifully sketching the edges of a day lost to time. Wandering in the textures of sound and non-redundant repetition, new discoveries in these songs are constantly made. One can hear traces of some of Cluster’s more pastoral work (especially Sowiesoso).

Recently Sonoi was featured on an episode of Shaking Through, an online series of music and video sponsored by Weathervane and WXPN Philadelphia that showcases the work of great independent musicians. The session was curated and produced by Daniel Smith (Danielson, Sufjan Stevens) in a two day period. Check it out on the interweb here: http://www.weathervanemusic.org.

On May 14th, they will host a record release show at the Empty Bottle in Chicago, IL.