October 13, 2004

Solyoni "prairie monsters"

Seattle’s Solyoni have released quite a concept album. The album’s songs string together a tale of how two of the group’s members tried to deliver one of their girlfriends’ car (containing all of her belongings) from Ohio to Seattle, and the defeat they encounter when the car breaks down in the middle of the trip. They set the tone of the record with the western feel of the first track, “Scarecrow Country”, where they “set out to become what they would be, and set out across the asphalt sea”. As one travels, the mind tends to wander. Solyoni demonstrates this throughout this album; it seems as if they wrote the entire thing while in transit. While “Hill Boys” has the melancholy feel of staring out the window, “The Ballad of Wiley Granger and the Town with no Sidewalks” has that sort of excitement one might feel after meeting a local at a general store or filling station with a beard so crazy it deserves to have a song written about it. The boys start having car troubles halfway through the album. While waiting for AAA outside a Six Flags, they penned “Amusement Park Untitled”, a yearning for roller coasters and viking ships stationed at a Six Flags that isn’t open. By the album’s end, Solyoni admits their defeat and reflect on their journey. After hearing this epic tale of adventure, I can’t help but believe they are better people now after having experienced this.

--Kyle Sowash

Artist Website: http://www.solyoni.com

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