Sun June Record Review

In its wistful bow, Sun June taps potent memories, looking back from precisely far enough away to make light of something heavy without sacrificing its sting. Exuberant "Young" crowns the folk-inflected Years by justifying its past-tense perspective simply: "I was young." The songs roll out Laura Colwell's weightless voice and the band's thoughtful instrumental momentum. Dusky opener "Discotheque" slows to a spacey persistence, matched by the wispy, bassline-tethered "Slow Rise II." Both set a precedent for winding down on the singer's mantra-like lines. Downtrodden "Johnson City" returns to Texas, lyrical yearning diffused by gentle reverb and warm tones. Sarah Schultz's choral backing continues on sparsely named streak "Homes," "Records," and "Apartments." The triad presents soft, lovelorn remembrances, the type stirred up by passing a former friend's house or, as Colwell croons, pulling out "that crate of old 45s." Finale "Underneath" sets an evasive plan ("gonna hide from you") and ends abruptly. While premiering Sun June's sweeping aesthetic, Years indulges in admitting you're not over it.