In the sonic landscape of ‘Sunshine and Cyanide,’ Garretson & Gorodetsky have constructed a homemade sanctuary where the avant-garde performance art of Los Angeles shakes hands with the ghosts of eighties punk-jazz. Recorded at Catasonic Studios, the very space where the ensemble lives and breathes, this collection feels less like a formal studio product and more like a series of private, high-voltage rituals. Under the production of Mark Wheaton, the record manages to capture a specific duality: it is both an unsettling descent into a “Fresh Hell” and a welcoming “Paradise” of familiar, rhythmic complexity.
The record gains immediate altitude with “Blue Hibiscus,” where Weba Garretson’s vocals and guitar work establish a shimmering, toxic beauty. There is a sense of atmospheric bleeding throughout the tracks, a feeling of light and poison mixing in the air. This theme continues through “Cloud Streets,” where the veteran rhythm section of drummer Brian Christopherson and bassist Laura Grissom creates a foundational pulse that is as likely to tickle the listener as it is to slap them. The pedigree of the performers drawn from the legendary rosters of Saccharine Trust and Universal Congress Of, is evident in the way the music careens without ever losing its center.
A significant driver of this energy is the live-tracking process utilized at Catasonic, which fosters a genuine improvisational dialogue between the instruments. This spontaneity is most apparent at the “Inception” of several compositions, where the wailing saxophone and flute of Vince Meghrouni engage in a restless, reactive dance with the drums. Because the players recorded in the same physical environment where they practice, the communication feels intuitive rather than rehearsed. Meghrouni’s harmonica and brass provide a visceral, human cry that responds to the rhythm section in real-time, creating a sonic rendezvous that vibrates with the heat of the moment.
The interplay suggests a creative breakthrough, a moment where the performers have broken with their masters to speak in a vernacular that is entirely their own. In “Ghosts,” the ensemble grapples with the lingering influence of their collective past, creating a sound that is too distinct to be merely nostalgic. “Muse” is a track that reflects the group’s history in the performance art world, specifically Garretson’s background with the national touring troupe SHRIMPS. There is a theatricality to the pacing, a sense that the lyrics, even when self-deprecatingly described as less than genius, are being delivered as part of a larger, cinematic whole.
By the time the final notes of the sequence fade, the record reveals itself as a successful document of resilience and artistic curiosity. Sunshine and Cyanide proves that the most compelling music often grows in the shade of a giant pine tree, fueled by nothing more than ravens, cookies, and a refusal to remain static.
Find out more by visiting Catasonic or Bandcamp.
