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Feb 16, 2016Human Ceremony is an instinctive record, with the band more than happy to act on an impulse. The enthusiasm of the band is infectious, always remaining grounded but delightfully exploring their own infinite limitations.
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Feb 8, 2016Its debut album, Human Ceremony (Fat Possum), moves along briskly and even impatiently with circular picking patterns, transparent strummed chords and or fuzz-toned riffs behind Julia Cumming’s airy voice.
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Feb 5, 2016Human Ceremony is an impressive debut from a band who seem positioned to make many more excellent albums if they can continue to do such a good job of mining the past for gold and revamping it in their own fashion like they do so well here.
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Q MagazineFeb 4, 2016By turns thrilling and blissful. [Mar 2016, p.115]
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Feb 4, 2016This is not a lazily retrogressive record however: its melodies burst with the fidgety energy of youth and ambition.
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UncutJan 29, 2016More intriguing are the songs that tap into Throwing Muses' vein of chiming offbeat indie-pop, familiar tales of teenage yearning elevated into something more glowing and magical. [Mar 2016, p.80]
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Jan 29, 2016Human Ceremony is a very impressive record for a band that's only been putting out music for about a year.
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Jan 29, 2016The phrase ‘modern psychedelia’ often feels like an oxymoron, but on Human Ceremony Sunflower Bean make perfect sense of it, rewardingly broadening their musical horizons in the process and as with the Nuggets compilations it’s as diverse as you like yet retains a marvellous cohesion at the same time.
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Feb 8, 2016The talent is there in spades, and the well of influences is a deep and bountiful one. There’s nowhere to grow but up for Sunflower Bean.
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Apr 1, 2016Sunflower Bean have enough homegrown ability between them to draw up a series of immersing and original compositions.
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Jan 29, 2016The haziness of the record is expertly planted. [Jan/Feb 2016, p.59]
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Jan 29, 2016The band’s diverse influences sound best when Kivlen's voice serves as a darker echo of Cumming’s angelic optimism, especially in a call and response. But the band's hodgepodge approach doesn't always work.
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Mar 17, 2016Despite the messiness of searching for their sound, they balance modern psych and glam rock with obvious pride.
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Feb 26, 2016Singer Julia Cummings’ saccharine vocals overpower as they search for meaning and purpose. Sadly, they end up being somewhat more tepid and irritating.
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Feb 5, 2016Human Ceremony isn’t anywhere near fault-free, but its charm arrives when the trio get ahead of themselves.
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MojoJan 29, 2016Alluring, if more cold brewed latte than electric kool aid. [Mar 2016, p.100]
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Feb 5, 2016All in all, Sunflower Bean stripped away more than was necessary. The blunt truth is that the refreshing and energizing band that birthed “Tame Impala” and “Rock & Roll Heathen” just didn’t show up to the Human Ceremony recording sessions.
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Feb 17, 2016Ultimately, Human Ceremony is unremarkable despite its flaws. Its moments of vigor and excitement are repeatedly undercut by the overwhelming familiarity of it all.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 10 out of 14
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Mixed: 3 out of 14
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Negative: 1 out of 14
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Feb 5, 2016
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Oct 17, 2016Great album Enjoy!
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Oct 13, 2016