15 May 2025
Art design by Tom Martin
Band: SUNDAY JUNKIE
Who: Multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Tom Martin and drummer/percussionist Shawn Pelkey from Worcester (MA) who got together last year, whose initial creative vision expanded far beyond simple genre conventions. At its core was a sort of amalgamation of things outside a definable sphere of style and sound, and more a reflection of the personal experiences of its two members, a pair of Boston scene veterans who came together to unleash pent-up caustic tension through something new.
ALBUM: SUNDAY JUNKIE
Their self-titled debut one.
Press info: It’s a stirred Molotov cocktail of noise, a torrent of blissful agitation
that corrals digestible genre lanes of post-punk, emo, ‘90s alternative, post-hardcore
and whatever else.
Martin: “Our sound emerged purely unintentionally – it’s just a pretty faithful expression of
our influences and where we’re at in terms of writing abilities. I’ve never been a fan of trying to sound like xyz, or feel like we need to stay within certain parameters of a genre, but rather letting the songs just happen as they’re meant to.”
“For the lyrical themes on this album, I’d say it’s a pretty even split of deeply personal, introspective lyrics and then dealing with discontent in relation to the world at large. On the more personal, introspective side are songs like ‘Death Defier’ and ‘Fever Dream’ that delve into romantic relationships, and ‘Constellations’ aims to examine the dull ache of nostalgia and fleeting youth. ‘Emergencies’ hits on religious hypocrisy and the mainstream media’s constant cycle of fear often played ad nauseam.”
Pelkey: “For the most part, the songs take shape without intent. Every now and then Tom will write a track where I hear certain influences and I’ll try and nudge it in that direction. The first time I heard the ‘Vultures’ riff, it gave me a heavy Queens of the Stone Age vibe. That sense of nostalgia made it easy for me to write my parts. I’m sure that stems from the fact we share a
lot of the same influences. The ‘90s alternative vibe is definitely strong with us.”
TUTV: The record’s keyword is PASSION. Passionate tunes, passionate swagger,
passionate vocals and passionate performances. Sunday Junkie’s way of wielding, composing, and executing the good old guitar/bass/drum formula reminds me of
the unwavering authenticity of The Replacements and rock solidness of Guided by
Voices. High-quality songwriting combined with an insatiable appetite for jangly
riffage.
All 10 powerhouse songs stand tall and proud, with voltaically orchestral Band Of Horses echoes here and there. The seamless, musical chemistry between Martin and Pelkey is the driving force of this debut album that makes it sound like they already have a few under their belt. High or not, you can play and enjoy SJ any day of the week.
KEY TRACKS: Vultures / Holy Holy / Fever Dream / Emergencies / Constellations
SINGLE: Vultures
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STREAM/BUY ALBUM