Preview: Sleepy Sun @ Slim’s

San Francisco’s own Sleepy Sun will be spreading the psych this Friday, providing main support to Austin’s The Black Angels at Slims. Still riding the rave reviews surrounding their latest release Fever, the band launched a digital single of the song “Desert God” with an exclusive new b-side, “Toys” to celebrate the tour.

Released a year ago on ATP Records, Fever took the meandering psychedelia that was oozing from many a northern Californian band and turned it into a polished and cohesive construct — an impenetrable fortress of solid musicianship and varied experimentation.

I personally felt it to be one of the better albums of that year and still have it on frequent rotation. From what I perceived, one of the guiding forces behind the bands brilliance was the interplay between the vocals of singers Bret Constantino and Rachel Williams. Typically harmonized, occasionally conversational and consistently compelling, the counter-balance between the chaos of the music and the constancy of the harmonies always struck me as being as close to perfect as one can get within the realm of musical pairings.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Alas, Rachel Williams left the band at some point in 2010. Another one bites the dust. Fortunately for us, the music has not faltered one bit within this transition and the band continues to bring it in every shape and form. I will certainly miss the harmonies, but a band is not built on the vocals alone. Check out the latest single Toys released digitally yesterday, and while you are at it check the band out live at Slim’s this Friday night. Tickets are $19, doors are at 8pm and the show is all ages. More info.