sunset co. - before the dawn

Sunset Co.

Before The Dawn
self-released; 2014

3.5 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

The group Sunset Co. is what happens when you bring together two artists with different musical backgrounds and styles. On their recent release Before the Dawn you have two distinct vocal styles, which end up meshing pretty well in the end. One half of the duo is the emcee/producer who provides the rhymes while the other half sings. The music is a mixed bag of hip-hop style beats, guitars, synths and bass. They bring a fairly eclectic mix to the table making the listening experience enjoyable and diverse.

Sunset Co. mix up swooshing synths and bells backed by a fat bass drum as “the singer” gets first dibs on the vocals.  He has a good voice but there are a couple times when he is off key. About a minute-and-a-half in, the emcee gets his time to rhyme. His rap is smooth and slightly aggressive and fits the mold of the music.

They follow a similar path for “Tangerine Dream” as it starts with the singer. This time around he nails the vocals and is accompanied by a lone guitar. About halfway through synth pads enter and set up the beat and the rhyme. The emcee starts to go off as the singer provides additional vocal harmonies. 

“?” combines an electronic beat that sounds similar to something you may have heard off of Homogenic while “Luna” is an atmospheric ambient piece.  They end with the highlight and most epic track entitled “The Dark Hour/To No Avail.” It’s an eleven-plus-minute song that you won't want to miss.

There is still some tweaking that needs to be done production-wise and some of the implementation could be tightened up but overall Sunset Co. has a good thing going and I am interested in seeing how they develop. 

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