In contrast to the garage-rock aggression of their San Francisco psych scene peers, Sonny & The Sunsets made their name on quirky yet understated gems. They wrangled a wide array of styles into their sound, but it was still essentially guitar-based music with a folk-pop feel. So although the band is continuing to kick out subtly off-kilter sounds, first exposure to their new album Moods Baby Moods might feel like a shock, if only for the radical transformation it represents. With tUnE-yArDs’ Merrill Garbus on board as producer, the Sunsets crafted a funky new wave LP with shades of Nile Rodgers, Talking Heads, and Art Of Noise among others. The lead single is “Well But Strangely Hung Man,” and if the title doesn’t sufficiently clue you in to the project’s headspace, the bizarro Bay Area-skewering album trailer certainly will. Check them both out below.

Moods Baby Moods is out 5/27 on Polyvinyl.

CREDIT: Brian Pritchard