Granary (2026)
These days, it seems like just about any band (aside from Operation Ivy) could potentially get back together provided the band members are in good health. Because of that, I don't suppose that I was surprised to hear that Sugar was playing again, but I was definitely excited about it. So much so that I immediately bought tickets to one of their NYC shows when they were announced. The timing of those shows ended up not working out exactly, so I didn't end up going. Though the way things are going, it doesn't look like that will be the only time I will get to see them as they announced a full tour and have put out this new two-song 7".
The A side is "House of Dead Memories" and it's kind of exactly what you'd expect from a Sugar song. Upper mid tempo, gigantic guitar sounds, a driving verse that pushes into a chorus and a bridge and a little instrumental interlude with some guitar squawking. It's pretty short, clocking in just over the two-minute mark, but it gets the job done as far as paying off the anticipation of waiting for new music for so long.
On the flip we have "Long Live Love," which if I'm being honest, mostly ticks all of those same boxes as the A side. It's perhaps a bit more straightforward and slightly less dynamic than "House of Dead Memories," but I am absolutely not looking for Sugar to reinvent the wheel. I want them to sound like Sugar and they mostly do.
There's nothing here that's too dissimilar to Bob Mould's solo records, which really weren't all that dissimilar to what Sugar used to do anyway. Am I blown away? No, I'm not. But I definitely enjoy both songs and would be eager to see them worked into a full album. I'm hopeful that's in the cards once the touring is done.
Sugar - "House of Dead Memories":
Sugar - "Long Live Love":
