As Goldenboy, Shon Sullivan has struggled somewhat with ambition, or rather his lack of it. He can make fine ditties, like he did most recently on last year’s Sleepwalker (QRO review), but hasn’t really burst forth to do more. He still shuffles somewhat in the shadow of the late Elliott Smith (QRO album review), in whose band Sullivan performed. But on the new The New Familiar, Goldenboy moves for the more interesting.
And also the less cheery, as even the sweet pieces like openers “The Walking Song” and “Today’s the Day” are more wistful. They are, however, more than just ditties, whether sad restraint such as “Steal Your Face” or closer “Just Say I Love You”, or charming tales such as the geographical love story “SoHo’s Empty” and the very charming “Starlight Town”. Sure, Sullivan could use more ambition (see the nice-but-only-nice “One of My Moods”), but in music it’s still better to be under-ambitious than over-ambitious.
Shon Sullivan has been very easy to like, even love, as Goldenboy, but The New Familiar manages to also raise one’s respect of him – without losing one’s affection.
Goldenboy – Starlight Town
