SONNY AND THE SUNSETS – HIT AFTER HIT

Imagine you were a teen in the late 50s or early 60s.  You ride your bike for a malt at the milkbar. If you dropped a couple of bob into the jukebox, sounds like Sonny and the Sunsets – Hit after Hit are the kind of tunes that you would hear. With a band title in the vein of Buddy Holly and the Crickets and the like of the era, they don’t do a bad job of recreating the vibe of simpler times. With an album title like Hit after Hit it’s either going to be something like Lennon’s “bigger than Jesus” faux pas or a tongue in cheek quip. Thankfully it is clearly the later. Gritty little guitar riffs and tight simplistic rhythm section and fun lyrics, San Franciscan Sonny Smith and his Sunsets set the tone for an enjoyable album. The first track title from the line in the chorus, “She plays yo-yo with my mind” conjures thoughts and memories and a little smile. We’ve all had people that have made us feel like that. It, like many others on this record, lets us laugh at ourselves. For example, the first single “I wanna do it.” So blunt it’s funny.

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