For those unaware, Signs & Wonder (out September 29th, 2022 via Peacock Sunshine Records), is a collection of Sun King Rising’s southern noir stories set to music, with a cast of colorful characters, intrigue, tales of sin and redemption, murder without justice, and love without limits.

Indeed, had William Faulkner and Tennessee Williams been lyricists, they might have written deeply nuanced musical stories like Sun King Rising.

Sun King Rising is a solo project by singer-songwriter John Blangero from Port Isabel, Texas, that is steeped in the tradition of southern rock and country soul.

1. Bitter Waters Sweetened (4:20)
2. No. 6 Magnolia Avenue (4:11)
3. Lanterns On The Levee (3:58)
4. Buried In The Blues Again (3:56)
5. Jubal Takes A Wife (4:29)
6. She Was A Blonde (4:56)
7. One More Story To Tell (3:24)
8. Low Wine And Cruel Ruin (4:39)
9. Anchorless (5:48)
10. Alabama Nocturne (3:01)

With Blangero’s music draws from his southern family roots, the literary genius of William Faulkner and the bluesy compositional brilliance of George Gershwin imbued throughout his lushly sculptured works, this new album opens on the impassioned Bitter Waters Sweetened and the drum-led, soulful percussional blues of No. 6 Magnolia Avenue and they are backed seamlessly by the veritable hipsway shimmering within Lanterns On The Levee, the rawly organic feel of Buried In The Blues Again and then comes the heartfelt ode within Jubal Takes A Wife.

This vibrant collection of blue-eyed soul, all sweetened by the funky rhythms and horns of the 60s-70s, continues onward with the joyously upbeat She Was A Blonde and the Cash-esque One More Story To Tell, and then we get the brilliantly atmospheric Low Wine And Cruel Ruin, the album coming to a close on the subtly reined Anchorless and the expansive Alabama Nocturne.

Signs & Wonders Sessions:
John Blangero – Piano, Keys, Lead Vocals, Orchestral Arrangements
George Perilli – Drums on all tracks except 4 and 10
Roger Humphreys – Drums 4
George Elliott – Bass Guitar on all tracks
Willie Ross – Guitar 1 2,3 4.5,8
Steve Schuffert – Guitar 6,7 8 9
Ace Acker – Acoustic Guitar 3
Fred Delu – Electric Piano 4
Background Vocal Arrangements by Stevee Wellons and Ace Acker
Background Singers: Stevee Wellons – All tracks but 10; Joy Brown – 1,3,4,5,7,8; Bernice Wilkerson – 1,3,4,5,7,8; Pete Hewlett – 6,9; and Ace – 2,6,9
Raloh Guzzi – Horn Arrangements
Ralph Guzzi, Eric Defade, Kevin McManus – Horn Section
Kennv Blake – Saxophone 4

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