Born from the small-scale creativity of home studios, the dt's latest single, "Sun Shines Down," bursts forth like a shaft of sunshine breaking through the overcast. The song embodies hope, determination, and the sweet thrill of discovering light in the darkest of times. It's an anthemic alt-rock/power pop song that sounds immediately recognizable, but is refreshingly its own thing. If you've been looking for an alt-rock anthem to believe in, it's here, served as a bold single from a band never afraid to be both daring and harmonious.
"Sun Shines Down" grabs you with a tumbling guitar riff and a rhythm that pokes your foot awake. This band has a way of seamlessly meshing modern pop sensibilities with retro influences that is palpable throughout, and few things could be more exciting to the longtime fan. Yet, what the band has collectively accomplished here is creating moments teeming not just with traces of the past, but also of the present. Their voices against one another have a snap that keeps you moving from towering choruses to tender verses, and they are spread with knowledge of melody and emotional subtleties.
What makes this one so effective is its delicate blend of accessibility and artistry. There's a power-pop touch to the chorus that cries out for a sing-along, but the songwriting is textured enough to make the song worth revisiting. The song serves as an anthem for hope, a reminder that the world may be heavy, but the sun always shines brightly in the sky. It's that mixture of heart and hooks that makes the dt's a band to listen to now and in the future, able to transcend genre limitations without ever sacrificing their personality.
The pair's homegrown roots are evident. "Sun Shines Down" has a spare, handcrafted vibe that is often lost in larger, studio-ready productions, with a tasteful refusal to stay put in any genre from rock to blues to power pop, everything finds its perfect place in a track here, without ever overpowering the song that lies at its core. It's a testament to their experience, both with and without one another, as songwriters, and to their bold love of harmony, which gives the song its radiant brilliance.