“When I got sick with spinal cancer, I had to create a new version of myself who could withstand my new reality. As a lifelong songwriter and storyteller, and someone who believes that music is magic, I turned to music, and devised Captain Sunbeam.” So states Malachy Duffy on his kickstarter campaign page.
The musical superhero story continues for Boston-based prog-rock band Captain Sunbeam. The band’s singer-songwriter Malachy Duffy has been a frequent mustachioed face in the local scene as his band Captain Sunbeam have packed local venues such as Lizard Lounge and Midway Cafe. Now, with the help from a Kickstarter campaign that raised $11,438, they fly higher than ever.
The brainchild of brothers Malachy and Conor Duffy, Captain Sunbeam released their debut album, Captain Sunbeam, Act I: The Compass of Ra, in early 2020. A space-opera set in the galaxy of the Seven Jewels, their songs capture the heart-rending correspondence between enigmatic Captain Sunbeam and space lumberjack Julian Afterjoy. The follow up, Songs of Orion, continues the sci-fi rock opera, centered around the return of Orion in the midst of an intergalactic epic.
Songs of Orion begins the sci-fi journey starts off with the dramatic “Sweet Oh-Rai / Engines of the Lovestar” where in less than two minutes, a cinematic intro sets the scene for the concept album, starting with ethereal voices that lead a blast-off and then to a speak-sing that is reminiscent of “Space Oddity.” The record begins properly with the second track, “Oh-Rai” as melodramatic, belting vocals soar over seismic power chords, and shredder guitar solos, which lays the groundwork for the next several tunes. As the music carries on, a punk and pop-metal foundation forms, one that melds apparent influences in worlds old and new, between Van Halen and The Beths. Duffy is a magnetic presence at the center of the rock opera, while the polished and clever interplay between lead and back up vocals go hard.
Songs of Orion sticks the landing by closing out with acoustic strummers “Afterlove” and “Skies of Elyria.” “Afterlove” begins with the elegiac, “send me off to school with a tender goodbye, now you’re scattered like dust through the stars.” The contrast of the stripped down ballads after the chugging rock maximalism bring the songwriting on “Afterlove” into stark relief. “Brother don’t go away, don’t leave me alone,” he pleads in this chilling and tender penultimate number. The Duffy brothers have been writing Captain Sunbeam since they were children, and this song about death and brothers strikes a particularly rich chord, artistically and emotionally.
Climb aboard and check out the new album below