Ugly Beautiful goes for a wonderful driving sound on the wide-open vistas of “Sunrise”.

Ugly Beautiful – Sunrise

Ugly Beautiful goes for a wonderful driving sound on the wide-open vistas of “Sunrise”. With a groove that unfurls like the highway, there is a tremendous grace to the way they build everything up. A sense of urgency takes shape for their guitar work is phenomenal, as everything comes together in a wonderful hazy way. The drums hit with emotional impact for they keep them just the right amount of loose, for the bass truly brings that tempo home. Vocals have a yearning quality to them for they seem to pine for something more, a desire to rise above their circumstances in a way that becomes truly beguiling.

Right from the beginning it is that rhythm section that takes the lead, guiding the rest of the band forward in a way that becomes outright fantastic to behold. The way they build the sound out proves to be outright masterful, for they allow the many layers to interact in a way that shows off their deft ability at playing off each other’s strengths. Group interplay matters here a great deal for there is a unique balance to the way that they let the atmosphere evolve. With strong nods to the elegance of Interpol’s latter releases, the song has a clear-eyed intensity to it, for even as it expands out into the seemingly infinite there is a grandeur there. For the final stretch they soar up into the sky in a cinematic sweeping motion.

“Sunrise” shows Ugly Beautiful craft their own distinct voice with an approach that is refreshingly earnest and surprisingly tender.