In tiles, a follow up to their s/t 2016 release, Sun Young takes disorder and revels in it.
The Boston three-piece has always aired on the side of sonically quirky, with jerking transitions and seemingly incompatible parts, but Sun Young always pulls it together with overarching hooks—which they have an inherent knack for writing.

Take “getting high” as an example. The song starts with a mantra of “I’m high and it’s good,” though the music suggests otherwise. Drenched in paranoia and unsettling rhythms, “getting high” creates an uncertain tension. But Sun Young unexpectedly eases you into warm, heavy segment of the song, differentiated by its grungey chord repetition. The remainder of the song alternates between this high-strung jostle and settled bliss—a staple quality of Sun Young.

“()” follows, being most notable for the return of the familiar and beloved synth line from “Lipstick” off the band’s previous release. When the song opens with “Gravy is gravy unless it is a paste,” you wonder if Sun Young is laughing at a joke you’re not in on. But as “()” progresses, the lyrics and structure go below the witty surface, delving into a different inward layer.

Tiles ends in a sort of chaos, the sound jumping to and fro. Don’t get it? Can’t keep up? It doesn’t really matter, because Sun Young offers a unique brand of universality. And when it comes down to it, Sun Young is—dare I say—just plain fun.