Violet Sedan Chair - Seven Suns

It's easy to understand why Walter loves this album so much; it really is great. The album is loaded with catchy rock 'n' roll tunes that are quite believable; when I listen to the album, I often find myself having forgotten that the band is fictitious and didn't actually ever exist, but the sound that is produced is incredibly reminiscent of the late 60s and early 70s, and it is captured so perfectly. The album opens with "Seven Suns (Rising)," which is rather slow and very relaxing, but I just hate the annoying clicking noise that persists throughout the song. My thought is that the tracks that were made available via the Internet were lifted from a vinyl, which would explain strange noises, and this is why I hope that the album is eventually released officially, digitally and/or via CD; it would be really nice to have this album in a bit better quality, but in the meantime, I'm just happy to have it at all, because I'm in love with it, and it's really going to resonate for a while.

As always when it comes to material related to J.J. Abrams, there is a thick air of mystery. Firstly, we don't even know who this really is. Obviously, Violet Sedan Chair has never really existed; the album is meant to be a viral marketing technique, but we have been told that for now, it is going to be kept a secret as to who it actually is. My thought is that it is just members of the production staff who happen to be musicians, and I wouldn't be surprised if J.J. himself is one of them, since I know that he is a musician of sorts. Additionally, there is a video on YouTube of the guitarist of the band (again, no idea as to who it really is) talking about the song "Slow Vibration" (see video here), and it is creepy if you ask me. His voice is very distorted, and there is noise like static, a combination which prevents him from being understood. Lastly, we were told that the records were placed in select vinyl shops a few months ago, but I read that one person claims to have found it somewhere as early as two years ago. It really makes me think of DriveShaft; is there an album hiding somewhere? 

The album opens with "Seven Suns (Rising)." The song is rather slow and very relaxing, but there is a persistent clicking noise throughout the song which is rather annoying. My thought is that what was made available via the Internet was lifted from a vinyl, and that would explain the strange sounds, and if my thought is right, then my hope is that the album will eventually be released officially, digitally and/or via CD; it would be nice to have this album in a bit better quality. The second track is the aforementioned "Slow Vibration." This track is a bit poppy, and it almost even reminds me of Maroon 5. It's okay, but it's pretty far from being my favorite. My favorite on the album is probably the third track, "Hovercraft Mother." The song can be heard in a deleted scene from "Over There," a scene that comes off as being a Ford commercial, and it's ridiculously fun and catchy. The fourth track on the album is also very catchy. Titled "She's Doing Fine," it very much sounds like a song that the Beatles might have written and recorded.
 

The fifth track is, in my opinion, a rather weak spot. "Long List of Lovers" isn't one over which I'm totally crazy, and it's a bit heavier, kind of reminding me of the Rolling Stones. We then move into "Keep Climbing," and I don't really know what to say about this song besides that, like most of the album, it's really catchy, getting stuck in your head very easily. The seventh track is a bit different from the rest of the album, and I like that it stands out. I love the feeling of this song, which is a very calm, beachy feeling, and it's very serene. The eighth is my favorite next to "Hovercraft Mother." If you listen to the lyrics of "Last Man in Space," it is and could be very relevant to Fringe, which would make sense because we were also told that some of the lyrics would be relevant. The next song is called "Seven Suns (Setting)," and I don't really care much for this one; it is definitely one of the weaker points of the album, of which there aren't too many. Lastly is "Re Fa Mi Si Sol La," a purely instrumental track which closes the album on a good note, pun intended. I love the album and hope that the mysteries behind Violet Sedan Chair will eventually be unveiled.