northsun - soundsystems

northsun 

​Soundsystems
self-released; 2017

3.9 out of 5

By Jamie Funk

Northsun is the project for Minnesota artist Jeff Potter. He released a three-song EP entitled Soundsystems. If you are a fan of post-punk and of bands from Creation Records in general you should thoroughly enjoy this album.

​I couldn't but think of Jesus and Mary Chain along with bands like Primal Scream. I actually thought Porter had a similar inflection to Bobby Gillespie. Suffice it to say if you enjoy post-punk and sub-genres like shoegaze acts like My Bloody Valentine which branched off of it, just hit play.

​Soundsystems is relatively light and fun compared to like-minded bands. A couple of degrees darker and you could get into Joy Division territory. I thought the songs were pretty catchy and Porter sounded excited to be there. That’s certainly not a bad thing if you ask me. 

He opens up with arguably the most single worthy song of the three entitled “Alpha Hills.” It’s  relatively straightforward as he sticks to a standard palette of tools. The guitar are fuzzy, the beat is in 4/4 and the bass holds down the low end. 

Potter has more success with “Pop Blues Scene.” The melodies are catchy upon first hearing them and the transitions are quick and dynamic keeping the song exciting. “Things Don't Have To Change” is the third and final song. The aesthetics are very similar to the first two songs. The chorus might be the most memorable melody on the EP.

Soundsystems is an extremely cohesive EP. The three songs sound similar in a number of ways. I’m impressed that he was able to carve such a distinct sound for himself over the course of around eleven minutes. 

I really enjoyed this EP. The one thing I would just caution him about is feeding too much into this niche genre. Sometimes I felt the influences were a little too obvious and wanted to hear a little more of what separated him from those bands that invented the sound. 

Overall, this gets two thumbs. The songs are well written and the delivery is on point.

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