Golden Sun is the second album from Tāmaki Makaurau artist Vincent H.L. (Magic Factory, Teen Wolf, Whipping Cats) through Auckland label 1:12 Records — the gleaming follow-up to 2018's Weird Days.
On Golden Sun, he writes ‘tales of stoned isolation, outsider observations of rank outsiders, days hanging out or driving around with nowhere to be and nothing to do, sun-kissed reflections of new love and nighttime laments of love's lost longings’.
The album is a solo effort from Vincent — with slide guitar and bass by his consigliere Matt Short (Magic Factory, Vietnam War) and backing vocals from James Dansey (Golden Geese, Hang Loose) and Jamie Lee Smith (Crap Date, Princess Chelsea).
‘On Golden Sun I have really gotten into guitars. Hanging out with Matt had a real influence on that. I wanted to move on from the doom metal country of Weird Days and really pull the songs out of the sludge.’ – Vincent H.L.
‘Vincent H.L's voice sounds as rich as his record's namesake as he rattles off nine indelibly catchy “nightmare country” numbers beamed in from the outskirts of the super city — “growing up on the fringes is inevitable when your parents are commercial veggie growers in 1980's Kumeu and you are of mixed Chinese and European whakapapa”.’ – Undertheradar
‘Enjoyable and recognisable.’ Graham Reid, Elsewhere