12 Tribes of Mars – “Hidden Sun”

12 Tribes of Mars put out their first full album, Hidden Sun, and it caught me off guard in a good way. I knew going in that the band pulls from reggae, ska, and dub, but this record moves around a lot more than I expected. There are relaxed parts, tighter pop-minded moments, some post-rock structure, electronic touches, and plenty of jazz and free improvisation in the mix. That might sound like too many ideas packed into one record, yet it comes together in a way that kept me interested from start to finish. My favorites are “Mountain Flower”, “Surrender It”, and “The Lake Oasis”.

The album has this loose but smart balance where it can sound calm and spacey one minute, then much more lively the next without losing itself. That is probably the part that stayed with me most. It never came off like a band throwing random ideas at the wall. It sounded like five musicians who really know how to shape songs and make different styles work together.

It is also impressive that this is the debut full-length from a group that started in 2022. Hidden Sun sounds thoughtful, creative, and full of personality. Follow 12 Tribes of Mars on social media to keep up with new releases this year.