The Rain Parade
broke up after the lackluster reception accorded their second studio album (and ill-fated major label debut), 1985's
Crashing Dream
, though the group's legacy quietly refused to entirely fade away, as their languid brand of psychedelia and
Matt Piucci
's dreamlike guitar work continued to fascinate a cult following. After staging periodic reunion shows since 2012, and cutting three songs for the 2019 Paisley Underground round robin project
3x4
,
the Rain Parade
have given fans their first studio album in nearly 40 years, 2023's
Last Rays of a Dying Sun
. Featuring original members
Piucci
on guitar and keyboards and
Steven Roback
on bass (as well as guitarist
John Thoman
, who joined in time for
), this album captures a bit of the trippy sense of sonic exploration from the 1984 EP
Explosions in the Glass Palace
(the opening of the title cut bears no small resemblance to "No Easy Way Down"), while also incorporating the harder, more rock-oriented punch that made itself known on
. It lacks the bittersweet fragility of
's masterful debut, 1983's
Emergency Third Rail Power Trip
, which is understandable - that was cut when
David Roback
was the group's focal point, and he left the band in 1984 (and died in 2020), and while his influence is still felt, this edition's touch is noticeably different. That said, one of the most pleasant surprises of
is that it sounds just like a
Rain Parade
album - the approach is a bit more aggressive and the tunes sound a bit more down to earth, and yet this is an absolutely credible 21st Century version of the their trademark approach, with the nocturnal melodies, the thoughtful interplay of the guitars, the starry-eyed vocals and expert harmonies, and the gently insistent rhythms coming together with the same impact they summoned in their salad days. The veteran members can still pull their weight, and the relative new guys (
Derek See
on guitars and keyboards,
Mark Hanley
on keyboards and bass, and
Stephan Junca
on drums) have been seamlessly integrated into the group, while producer
Jim Hill
's studio skills help generate the clear but mysterious sonics this music needs.
ended the
's first era on a note of disappointment, while
begins a new chapter in their story with impressive strength and vision, and finds the Paisley Underground heroes still as gifted and capable as one could hope. ~ Mark Deming