Here Comes The Flood: La Cerca: Sunrise for Everyone

photo: Cia Romano

Alternative rock band La Cerca have through a lot since they were founded more than a decade ago. Band members came and went, styles were adopted and discarded, but it seems that have finally on their core business: playing smart college rock that was all the rage in the nineties. Their new full-length Sunrise for Everyone is a guitar album first and a bunch of stories inspired by their hometown Tucson, AZ second. The band's lead singer and songwriter Andrew Gardner just loves meteorological metaphors.

La Cerca can be succinct (Arizon, Sorry XO), but they can go long form when mood strikes them and if it fits the song (Climate Control, Weather Festival - with a nod to the Undertones). They close up shop with the sprawling Mountain Villager which takes up half of side 2 with its exploring jangly guitar workouts and stream of consciousness vocals. Don't be surprised when they take it even further on stage. Recommended if you like early REM, Big Star and Teenage Fanclub.

La Cerca:
Andrew Gardner: vocals, electric guitar, electric 12 string, acoustic guitar, piano, mellotron, vibraphone, organ and percussion
Miguel Villarreal: bass
Bill Oberdick: acoustic electric guitar, tremolo guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals on "Sorry XO"
Ernesto Gardner: drums

Guest musicians:
Kevin Dowling: phase guitar, delayed guitar, fuzzed guitar
Malcolm Cooper: rhodes piano, guitar ("Sunrise for Everyone" & "The First One")
Connor Gallaher: pedal steel ("Sorry XO" & "Mountain Villager")
Susan Keyl: cello ("Mountain Villager")
Brook Povadora: backing vocals ("Sunrise for Everyone", "The First One" "Songbirds & Rainbirds" & "Dream Continues")
Tracy Shedd: backing vocals ("Climate Control" & "Songbirds & Rainbirds")
Forrest Fallows: backing vocals ("Climate Control")
Jack Mattern: backing vocals ("Sorry XO")
Louise Le Hir: backing vocals on ("Dream Continues")
Matt Rendon: backing vocals ("Songbirds & Rainbirds")
Pat Waters: backing vocals ("The First One")