the new wave of southern rock & soul music
As of September 8, 2022, new reviews of Signs & Wonders will be published on the Lowdown. Please register to receive all reviews and news from Sun King Rising.
.Sun King Rising has already risen if you ask me – this is music made by dedicated professionals, and you can completely hear that in the combination of relentless passion and precision that they bring to every moment of this record.
"There is greatness within Signs & Wonders, and anyone who enjoys Americana-style rock cannot afford to miss out on what is a true classic of the genre. Accessible from the very first note, it repays repeated plays as there is just so much breadth and depth within. Music rarely gets better than this."
John Blangero is a great pianist with a wonderful, soulful voice, like Van Morrison if he had been raised on the Mississippi Delta
You never quite know what you are going to get with a release billed as Americana...a combination of Americana, Southern Soul, and seventies Classic Rock...
Classic Rock with anthem status...one of the most beautiful works I have heard in 2021.
The sound is absolutely gigantic, from the hits of the drums to the fanfare that punctuates the piece periodically. Instrumentally vibrant they bring a whole lot of color into the entirety of the experience.
John Blangero slips in and out of that character like a whack-a-mole game. He knows what sound he wants, and he chases it, weavings expertly through funk, classic rock, and elements of soul and R&B as well.
THE ROCKER
Sun King Rising is looking back to the days of Mad Dogs & Englishmen, Delta Lady and southern soul meets rock. This is good as I’ve always had a penchant for that sort of thing....
...southern classic rock with a touch of Memphis soul seasoned to taste. Well recorded to a smooth consistency and a dash of Kentucky bourbon added for spice.
A complete package giving the listener a pure taste of Southern life, void of hardship and strife, but exploring the majesty of life in the South.
... all-encompassing passion and musical vision to bear on the album’s ten cuts that it is a complete listening experience. There are no holes in this release.
Behind this project is singer, musician, and songwriter John Blangero, a highly experienced man who has been in the music business for decades...
If you listen to this delicious musical gumbo of Southern Rock and Country Soul, you won't suspect that one of the world's leading geneticists is behind the name Sun King Rising.
Sun King Rising. His new ten-song release finds him taking on every musical genre imaginable...
It is rare indeed to be captivated by just the first few bars of a record, but I was immediately intrigued to discover something earthy and full of heart and soul....
Few contemporary releases impress with such a clear identity. These are songs capable of commanding your attention. It is the sort of material that connects with listeners on both a mental and physical level.
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Soaring progressive-rock grandeur meets deeply soulful Southern rock at the crossroads of Delta Tales, where Sun King Rising’s John Blangero—a world-renowned genetic scientist—is waiting under an inviting big tent...
Many positive qualities stand out... and one of its greatest merits is its unity; the songs and musicians complement one another and there’s little if any dissonance detectable in its presentation...
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FULL
REVIEW
Sun King Rising scores in a big way with this album. I will look forward to a future burning with promise....
Sun King Rising... has everything anyone who loves great songwriting could want. Songwriter and bandleader John Blangero chose ten tracks for this invocation of the American South...
“Free Will in China Blue” is something no one else could or would have written. His identity burns brightest during pieces such as this as he melds an inspired piano-laden musical sensibility with an unique lyrical perspective
An Americana/southern soul/classic rock type of album packed with memorable hooks, rocking piano, driving rhythms, a powerful horn section, and soulful female backing singers...