THE SIDLEYS
REFURBISH VINTAGE SOUNDS WITH A SPLASH OF MODERNNESS ON
Coming on the heels of the album’s titular track “Sugar Kingdom”, The Sidleys provide us with powerhouse vocals, dreamy guitar loops, and upbeat tempos in the form of twelve syrupy-sweet tracks. The desire to create a candy-coated sonic landscape was envisioned after seeing a sweets shop of the same name. Recorded on and off since late 2021, Sugar Kingdom came to fruition in the band’s private home studio in Bethesda, MD.
Amongst the album are soulful tunes drenched in powerful vocals by Annie Sidley à la Brittany Howard or Gladys Knight, while instrumentally leaning into the flair of artists such as Beck or The Flaming Lips. Sugar Kingdom is something of an enigma as it effortlessly mends together the sonic styles of the last five decades, creating a fresh batch of earworms bound to please all demographics.
Throughout the new album, The Sidleys use their unique swagger to tell stories about love, sex, life, death, and much more. Album highlights like “Invisible” uncover feelings of self-consciousness amidst an ever judging society focused on outdated beauty standards. While songs like “Twilight” ponder the curiosities of what happens after death, making the album an introspective bundle of sonic treasures.