Sugar Candy Mountain (Noah)

Sugar Candy Mountain, the new group from burgeoning solo-artist Ash Reiter and her co-conspirator Will Halsey is a mish-mash of more than a few things – surf rock, a touch of garage, even a little bit of good-time party rock – but most of all, this shit is just fun. Halsey and Reiter have garnered their considerable experience and produced a slick, poppy collection of tunes that’d feel just right blasting out of the top of your mint-green convertible as you cruised Highway 1 with a cig dangling from your lips and a scarf blowing off your neck. I almost want to call it the logical progression of garage rock, but everything I ever say has something to do with garage rock, and I understand that it might get boring, possibly even derivative. What it is though is a refreshing blast of good times unencumbered by irony and/or depressing subtext. In a day when San Francisco’s scene has taken a decidedly downward turn it’s impressive to get a solid inhale of warm air and smiles but to hear it done with such confidence and style.

Sugar Candy Mountain’s new album Mystic Hits will be released on September 20.