Edward Crowther Enters a New League with “Sunshine”
Single Review★ Kenzie Gay★ @kenzwrites★ 2 Minutes
Previously this year in May, I had the honor of speaking with Edward Crowther - a young rock artist from the Charlotte area of North Carolina. At the time, he had plenty to say about his path as an artist, the debut of his live band, and the current status of rock n’ roll - explicitly stating “rock n' roll gets this typical vibe of being rebellious and not following the rules, which is part of it, but to me, rock n' roll means truly living your life to your authentic self. It doesn't even have to be based around music either” - a sentiment that has stuck with me ever since.
On October 23rd, Crowther released a new single: Sunshine, which features Crowther (producer, bass, guitars) with Ethan Cronin on vocals, mix and mastered by Chris Brown (Radiohead, Muse, etc.).
(left) Sunshine single cover, (right) Edward Crowther via Brian Bunn
Sunshine is a blast from the past despite Crowther’s young age. It drags listeners back to the 1980s peak of glam rock, smack dab in the middle of powerhouses like Guns N’ Roses, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Quiet Riot, KISS, and those alike. It opens up with an in-your-face riff that layers into the other instruments and eventually Cronin’s vocals, which are also plucked straight from this era of vibrance and MTV.
One thing the song definitely doesn’t lack is rip roaring guitar solos - which was to be expected considering Crowther’s weapon of choice: that ol’ six string. It’s almost as if there’s a new solo between every stanza of lyricism to break up the angsty attitude Cronin brings to the table with Crowther’s signature grit and it melds together surprisingly well. It’s a headbanging, potent, nostalgic, and all-around boisterous anthem that signifies the current status of rock quite well.
Though I compared the track to several of the “greats” from back in the day, there are also modern acts worth noting that I think carry this same, raw and rebellious sound. Bands like Red Voodoo, Dirty Honey, Ace Monroe, and The Steel Crows have all been on the rise for a few years and after listening to Sunshine, I believe that Crowther can definitely hang with them.
After the release of Sunshine, Edward and his respective band has a string of shows around North Carolina in cities such as Charlotte, Boone, and Catawba that fans can catch.
