The Sunshine Fix Albums (2)
What The Critics Say
Bill Doss always represented the poppier side of his old group, the Olivia Tremor Control, but none of that band's work would prepare fans for the glorious rush of pop songcraft on Age of the Sun, the first album by Doss' post-OTC band, the Sunshine Fix. But while even that album bore a bit of the Olivia Tremor Control's stamp, especially in the extended, experimental, and not very memorable "Le Roi-Soleil" that ended the disc, Green Imagination keeps things tight, focused, and full of hooks that stick with you long after the album's over. The band wears its psychedelic, British Invasion, and power pop influences on its sleeve, but with enough conviction and singleness of purpose that they sound fresh even when they're channeling Big Star ("Statues and Glue"), Revolver-era Beatles ("Papers Fall"), or 13th Floor Elevators ("Afterglow"). Doss hasn't abandoned quirkiness entirely -- check out the goofy falsettos on "Extraordinary/Ordinary" and robotic backing vocals on "Sunday Afternoon" -- but it all holds together in a way the Olivia Tremor Control often didn't. In other words, he's figured out how and when to use a gimmick to further the song, rather than for its own sake, which makes for a seamless and infectious listen from start to finish. ~ Eric Schumacher-Rasmussen, All Music Guide
'Age of the Sun'
Release Date 10/30/2001
Tracks 16
Label Emperor Norton
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
As half of the Athens-based kaleidoscopic visionary psychedelic pop outfit known as the Olivia Tremor Control, Bill Doss cut his teeth on the surreal and the melodic soundscapes that would become that band's stock in trade. With the Olivia Tremor Control disbanded, or at the very least on extended sabbatical, the Bill Doss (as he is credited on the record) has forsworn the funk and country experimentation of his Future History of a Sunshine Fix EP and delivered what could easily be considered the follow-up to Black Foliage: Animation Music by the Olivia Tremor Control. It's a wonderful '60s pop offering with harmonious Byrds-ish vocals, beachy sun-drenched rock, transcendental melodies, and those blended orchestrations that have become the hallmark of the Elephant 6 collective, but Age of the Sun never strays from the territory so well charted by the Olivia Tremor Control. From listening to both Will Cullen Hart's Circulatory System and Bill Doss' Sunshine Fix, it appears that Hart was the guiding influence behind the more experimental madness of the Olivia Tremor Control and Doss contributed a more grounded set of pop songs, but on Age of the Sun, it really seems that all sides of the Olivia Tremor Control are represented (certainly the 20-minute album ending "Le Roi-Soleil" falls into the experimental weirdness category). It may have been the give and take between Hart and Doss that gave the Olivia Tremor Control its unique sound, but with Hart out of the picture, it appears that Doss has soaked up enough of his essence to keep their partnership spiritually alive for at least one more record. ~ Terrance Miles, All Music Guide
