Chris McCaughan may be best known to most as the guitarist and singer of Chicago punk rock band, The Lawrence Arms.
But over the past seven years, during the band’s relative dormancy, Chris has written, performed and made a name for
himself under the moniker, SUNDOWNER, a stripped down and introspective outlet for his studiously constructed lyrics
and melodies. SUNDOWNER’s third full-length album, Neon Fiction, clearly and confidently exhibits his evolution as a
songwriter with ten new, emotive, and eloquent songs. In contrast to both ‘country western’, and ‘classic, Springsteen
fuelled Americana’, SUNDOWNER is more from the Leonard Cohen school of playing to melody and literacy. This time
around, SUNDOWNER has a full band sound, experimenting with dynamic arrangements and stylistic departures from
previous records. Neon Fiction is a fully formed testament to the arrival of SUNDOWNER as something bigger and more
enduring than a side project. To celebrate this evolution, Chris once again combined forces with multi-instrumentalist and
fellow Lawrence Arm, Neil Hennessy, to create Sundowner’s lush new sound. They entered Atlas Studios (Alkaline Trio, the
Menzingers, Masked Intruder), and kicked out an album fueled by some of Chris’s most mindful and confident lyrics. The
tunes themselves can’t be easily summed up, but you might be reminded of The Weakerthans, Jets To Brazil, or maybe
even Paul Simon. There’s an authentic, almost classic feeling to this album, calling on the traditions of indie rock and fused
with Chris’ metropolitan lyrical style. Nothing forced, just throat, strings, bass, drums and game changing songs. The
heartfelt tracks on Neon Fiction will blend seamlessly into a catalog of songs that consistently captivates live audiences
and has them singing along word for word.
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