Just like the three wise monkeys, it can be enticing to turn a blind eye rather than than process a harsh reality. So even though switching on tunnel vision is probably your best bet when passing a bad roadside accident, it’s a lot tougher to avert your gaze from a “dumpster fire” at large. Because what you choose to observe directly affects both your wisdom and skepticism.
At least that’s the vibe we get from singer-songwriter-guitarist-producer Leila Sunier, who moved down here from her native New York not too long after dropping her 2020 sophomore Where Everything Is Perfect. A big fan of filled-out arrangements and compressor-contradicting dynamics, Sunier’s indie-pop-folk-alt-rock concoction has caught plenty of attention, including that of At the Drive-In producer Alex Newport and Austin’s own Ghostland Observatory, for whom she opened up last June.
Now that those flavors have ripened within Austin’s “blueberry in the tomato soup”, Leila Sunier’s set to hit high marks for self-reflection and social commentary on Too Big For Right Now, out this July. Ahead of a gig 10:30PM this Friday at Captain Quackenbush’s (with openers Taylor Kron at 8:30 and Howdy Cherry at 9:30), last weekend Leila shared the latest in a panoply of delicate-yet-purposeful folk forays off Too Big For Right Now, “All I Choose”. So if you typically try to cram multiple shows into the start of your weekend, maybe just stick with the obvious choice this time around. For right now, though, feast on the meditative roadside visuals of “All I Choose”, whose minimalist eggshell sonics swell into something much bigger than expected without becoming bombastic. It’s beautiful. It’s brilliant. And it’s a sure sign that Sunier will keep on soaring upward.
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