Sun-60 - Sun-60 (CD)

All Music Guide

The core of Sun-60 is multi-instrumentalist David Russo and lead singer Joan Jones, who also adds trumpet on a few tracks. Their eponymously titled debut is a collection of 11 acoustic-based adult pop/rock songs produced by Greg Penny. There are a lot of great songs here, but there's also an unrealized feel to much of it. Jones has a tremendous voice that ranges from torchy on the gentle, piano-laced "Landslide" to the serpentine twists she demonstrates on "Should Have Seen the Moon," a slice of jazz-inflected pop. It's when the often-frenetic pace slows down a bit and the focus is on her that the best results are yielded. Lyrically, Jones and Russo keep things simple, but give the listener something to chew on as on the somber "Responsible" and the closing "Take Me Home," the album's strongest cut, which builds from a heartfelt request to an emotional plea. A solid and engaging debut.

- Tom Demalon, All Music Guide