Enigmatic Multi-Instrumentalist Angel Deradoorian has returned with Find the Sun, a new solo album out on Friday, September 18, 2020 via Anti- Records.
First breaking onto the scene with the Brooklyn Rock band Dirty Projectors – itself a vehicle for David Longstreth – Deradoorian left the outfit in 2012, adopting a mononym ahead of the 2015 solo debut The Expanding Flower Planet. A string of projects and EPs have filled the five years since, including a Black Sabbath cover band, but Deradoorian began to focus on her latest follow up in the summer of 2019.
As with The Expanding Flower Planet, for Find the Sun Deradoorian handles most of the instrumentation herself; including all of the singing, guitars, flutes, and synthesizers, and roughly half of the bass. Samer Ghadry handles drums and other percussion, while Dave Harrington handles the remaining bass, as well as electronics and additional percussion.
Less a woven tapestry than a hasty patchwork quilt, Find the Sun is nonetheless a smooth roll peppered with slow, introspective numbers, brisk, apprehensive drives, and slow, winding leaves caught in a brisk autumn breeze. That in mind, the voice of Deradoorian is the focal point here, a true solo work, with the backing instruments creating a lush environment for the vocals to graze and devour.
Barely approaching five minutes, “Monk’s Robes” packs a variety of themes within its dark catacombs. Here Deradoorian’s haunting voice is backed by plucked strings and meandering piano running amok, before veering into a strange, near-religious chant ably backed by jarring organs. It is followed by “The Illuminator,” a near-ten minute journey where Deradoorian has packed only her voice, flute, and snare drum, visited sparingly by triangles and other subtle percussion. The song marches on and on, barely varying, save for some disembodied spoken word from the master herself. Overall, it is just as disconcerting and alluring when listened to as a background track as it is when put front and center.
An electric sibling, “Saturine Night” leads to more opportunity to confuse and confound. The result is a deep, dark, drawn-out track that twists and turns over itself, repeating only the best parts, peaking with psychedelic vocals from Deradoorian that remove all sense of reality. Elsewhere, “Corsican Shores” has a toe-tapping tongue-clucking beat that could propel a vintage convertible through a ’60s or ’70s flashback, or even a dusty high school gymnasium, packed with kids who recently discovered their straight-laced parents’ vinyl stash. Furthermore, it pairs well with “It Was Me” later, a track that almost approaches Stoner Rock in its vibe and structure, though it ends long before ever reaching the same esoteric electricity.
Lastly, the album ends with a literal doozy, the would-be title-track, “Sun.” Deradoorian showcases her unique voice again here, effortless convoluting her vocals over some basic plucks and taps, making drastic art in the process. This is while its predecessor “Mask of Yesterday” sets a warm, false sense of security. Eventually the track builds into an effective cacophony, enveloping the listener in a tense embrace that ends too suddenly.
Busy for all of the years since The Expanding Flower Planet, Deradoorian nevertheless sounds full of rest and ideas here on Find the Sun. The tracks alternate between loud, powerful statements and looping tangents, but still managing to put forth a singular narrative steeped in calm, comfort, and serenity. That is why Cryptic Rock gives Find the Sun 4 out of 5 stars.
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