Sunny War albums

2023

Anarchist Gospel - 89%

Sunny War appeared on the scene this year showing the wisdom and age of someone who has been at this forever. Her soft folk/soul hybrid music will undoubtably be compared to another great folk troubadour of our time- Tracy Chapman- but there are many difference in her songs that set her apart. There is a catchy undercurrent to so many of her songs, the little tingy guitar part in lead single “No Reason” and the fingerpicking of “His Love” and the gallop of “Test Dummy” should not go overlooked. Using some famous friends helps out too, like My Morning Jacket’s Jim James on the solemn “Earth” which goes to some interesting touching places, David Rawlings on several tracks including the mother earth chanting “Shelter and Storm” and the serious contemplation of “Higher”.

For an album called Anarchist Gospel, there is far more order than chaos. Sunny War taps into a rare thing: quality songs that also manage to be charming and lively. She even manages a couple of miracles of songs highlighting her diversity in building a soul song out of Ween’s hilarious “Baby Bitch”, touching on that above mentioned blend in the amazing “Hopeless”, and harnessing the power of all that came before in the epic seven minute “Sweet Nothing” that stays entertaining the whole length. The album may even end with the best song of all, the ballad “Whole”, telling us “No pain could ever by your soul/ or ever make your whole.”

Best Songs: Whole, Shelter and storm, Test Dummy, No Reason