Among Tucson's musical secrets are the Resonars. While the revolving roster of musicians led by songwriter Matt Rendon has languished in relative obscurity for more than 10 years, the band has consistently released a cache of albums that constitute a superlative source of '60s-style harmonies and pop-laced psychedelia. They are a "he/she likes me" kind of secret, not a cockroach-at-the-bottom-of-a-Chinese-food-container one.
Bright and Dark, the band's second album, from 1999, has been remastered and re-released by California punk and retro label Burger Records. The album is rich with thick layers of upbeat psychedelic riffs framing vocal harmonies reminiscent of The Hollies. The album's retro fit is enhanced by universal conceits that make Resonars' songs a cut above the average revival band.
"If He's So Great" is a punk-tempo tribute to the frustration of women digging jerks: "You say he gives you everything a little girl could need / but if he's so great, why are you cryin'?" "Marina" and "Goodbye Melanie" prove that great songs can still be written about unrequited love, with excellent pop lyrics set to the tune of jangly guitars that bring to mind Revolver-era Beatles.
Burger Records is the label responsible for the Resonars' 2008 modern psych classic That Evil Drone. Bright and Dark shows that the band started on a high note. These 12-year-old songs take direction from a 50-year-old musical movement and sound timeless.
