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Ever since the critically and commercially revered album “Welcome to the Neighbourhood” in 2018, Boston Manor has committed to shedding its pop-punk roots in favor of alternative rock. While this decision has garnered mixed responses, the band finally stuck the landing with its newest album, “Sundiver.”

Over the COVID-19 pandemic, Boston Manor joined SharpTone Records and announced its next slate of releases: “Datura” and “Sundiver.” The projects were promoted as two halves of an overarching concept album — “Datura,” meant to mimic a nightmarish evening spiraling out of control, and “Sundiver,” meant to cover the next morning.

A prevailing theme in “Sundiver” is the narrator’s lack of understanding of the prior night’s events and is seemingly close to spiraling again. This is demonstrated earliest on the second track, “Container,” where frontman Henry Cox sings about the overwhelming dread he faced just hours before.

“Is anyone out there now? / Is anybody real?” Cox sings. “So run to the back door / Run ‘til you’re new.”

The lyrics compliment the blown-out, hook-driven composition of the song and fall in line with tracks on “Datura” like “Foxglove” and “Passenger.”

The album’s emotional complexity is compounded by the narrator’s aversion to making greater change, which is exemplified in “Sliding Doors.” The song contains an allusion to the butterfly effect, insinuating the narrator missed their chance for improvement and is doomed to repeat bad cycles, fitting for a sludgy alt-rock song with a massive grunge breakdown.

Thankfully by the fourth track, “HEAT ME UP,” listeners see signs of progress, most notably in a connection with a special someone.

“A song about being utterly obsessed with someone and being grateful for what you have,” Cox said in an interview with Good Call Live. It’s that core relationship that ultimately becomes central to the album’s arc.

The next track, “Horses in a Dream,” slows the album’s pacing and relies on bass more than guitar. In the Good Call Live piece, lead guitarist Mike Cunniff said the song exhibits “raw human intimacy.”

“Dissolve” changes the tone of its predecessors and showcases the narrator’s desire for progress while acknowledging how rational thought doesn’t overcome trauma.

“You can’t stop something you caused / And thе stitches need to dissolve,” Cox sings.

This same sentiment pops up on “Why I Sleep,” in which Cox calls for his partner to dig through his pain while recognizing the fear of what will come from introspection. Cox also expresses these emotions in “Fornix,” in which his fear, positivity and love are undone almost instantaneously.

Kicking off the finale is the slow burn of, “What Is Taken, Will Never Be Lost.” Driven by a delicate drum pattern and menacing atmosphere, the song suggests a return to the sonic palette of “Datura,” something that becomes thematically appropriate by the closer, “DC Mini.” With the last two tracks, the narrative reaches an unfortunate conclusion: highlighting that the narrator couldn’t overcome their internal struggle and the cycle of the haunting weekend would begin anew.

Considering the band’s history, it was no surprise that Boston Manor would end its project on a nihilistic note. I had no expectation of the album progressing in a happier direction, especially since the band’s best work comes from stewing in negativity. But the emotional gut punch from the end of “Sundiver” is still tangible after this entire journey.

The individual tracks are phenomenal outside of the album’s context and can hold up as singles. “Container” is the obvious radio-ready highlight, but the uplifting choruses of “HEAT ME UP,” “Dissolve,” and “Why I Sleep” display the band’s fully synthesized sound without sacrificing its original pop structures.

There are also plenty of moments held together by fantastic riffing and rhythm sections like “Horses in a Dream” and “Sliding Doors,” with even the lone instrumental track “Morning Star” standing out with its captivating ambience and breakbeat percussion.

“Sundiver” is a fantastic alternative record, especially when listened in tandem with “Datura.” The two-part album creates an hour-long narrative that might stand as Boston Manor’s most fully realized experiment to date, but also stands up well taken just as a collection of alt-rock singles. If the ending of the album is to be believed and this band is doomed to relive the same nightmare again, we can only hope it will be equally compelling the next time around.

Published on September 17, 2024 at 11:38 pm

johinz@syr.edu