Sonny & the Sunsets
Talent Night at the Ashram
Polyvinyl Records
Street: 02.17
Sonny & the Sunsets = Mac DeMarco + Beach Fossils 

Surprisingly enough, I was quite unfamiliar with Sonny Smith and his Sunsets, and I’m quite disappointed by that. When I first saw the name Sonny & the Sunsets I was intrigued. With a name like that, I thought, “It’s got to have that doo-wop sound.” I wasn’t far off. The album perfectly mixes a New Age take with a classic sound. With tracks seemingly influenced by ’50s malt-shop rock and the California band’s own beach vibe (not to mention slightly hypnotic vocals), Talent Night at the Ashram is a must-have album. –Dylan Evans