Sonny & The Sunsets, Sarah Bethe Nelson, Gonzo
Recommended
Sonny Smith—songwriter and frontman of Sonny and the Sunsets—has kept up a steady musical output since the early '00s, even if most of it kind of blends together over time. Smith has made fuzzed-out, stoner surf-pop his calling card, though few do it better or with more prolificacy. With the latest Sunsets record, Moods Baby Moods, Smith brought Merrill Garbus of Tune-Yards onboard as producer, but her contributions are not limited merely to knob twiddling and credit taking. Garbus adds multiple layers of sounds missing from previous Sunsets' records, including bongos, synths, beeps, and bips, and sings backup vocals on most songs, making Moods Baby Moods perhaps the most collaborative (and funky!) Sunsets record to date. SANTI ELIJAH HOLLEY