Sun Wizard

Sun Wizard pray to a different set of gods than cross-town rivals Black Mountain, but the cadence of their prayers is similar. The talented Vancouver, BC revivalists have capitalized on an electric live presence with their debut record, Positively 4th Avenue. It's an LP with a clear question in mind: is it still homage if they're doing it better? Not shying away from arena-fillers and a type of rock the world has reacting to for the past 30 or so years, Sun Wizard make the current crop of radio pop rock stars sound old and busted. "Sour Note" is the first Bryan Adams/Bon Jovi celebration in a decade and "Golden Girl" packs the kind of honesty and guitar confidence that made this stuff fun in the first place. Opener "World's Got A Handle" dips a toe into the '80s before closer "Buildings" talks about throwing "our money in the embers" while Bon Jovi sulks in a corner somewhere over being bested at his own game. It all makes Positively 4th Avenue a marquee Vancouver export and takes Sun Wizard from stellar opener to true headlining act.