One band that
Sunset Heights often found itself compared to in the late '90s was
the Black Crowes, and that isn't a bad comparison. Like
the Crowes,
Sunset favors earthy, gritty roots-rock, and also like
the Crowes, they come across as a rock band with a healthy appreciation of the blues, as well as the great soul and funk of the '60s and early '70s. None of the songs on this self-titled CD actually have a 12-bar blues structure, but you can't miss the tremendous amount of blues feeling the Houston band brings to melodic, down-home offerings like "Did I Let You Down," "Tangerine" (not the
Led Zeppelin classic or the
Jimmy Dorsey swing-era hit), "Medicine Hat," and "Memory Lane." Nor can you miss the soul elements
Sunset brings to its guitar-powered rock & roll, which often gives the impression that its members are quite hip to the classic recordings of
Ike & Tina Turner,
Rare Earth, and
Sly & the Family Stone. This album isn't innovative, but it's honest and often quite enjoyable. ~ Alex Henderson