With their latest offering ‘Love In The Time Of War’, San Francisco’s Casa Del Sol deliver a searing, soulful meditation on beauty amid destruction, a song that feels both timeless and urgently present. Lifted from their debut LP ‘Strange Angels’, the track weaves a vivid tapestry of psych-rock textures, emotionally-charged organ lines, and a tender vocal performance from frontman John “Mad Johnny” Modell that aches with both wisdom and vulnerability.
At its core, the song is a study in contrasts of joy meeting devastation, and the sacred colliding with the mundane. Modell’s lyrical recounting of his son’s birth, juxtaposed with the dispassionate routine of the world outside, hits like a quiet revelation. That the band unknowingly recorded the track on his son’s 30th birthday, with Dylan present in the room, only deepens its resonance. This is music that connects across generations and carries the weight of lived experiences.
Musically, ‘Love In The Time Of War’ draws upon the sweeping soundscapes of late ’60s counterculture—think the spiritual intensity of Let It Bleed-era Stones filtered through the more expansive lens of Pink Floyd or The Band. There’s a warmth and rawness to the instrumentation: gospel-tinged keys, expressive guitar work, and a rhythm section that moves with both purpose and restraint. It’s a lush, cinematic arrangement that never overreaches—every note feels earned.
Casa Del Sol’s strength lies in their ability to pull meaning from chaos, to find poetry in paradox. Modell and his bandmates—each with impressive resumes of their own—bring a lived-in energy to the studio, one that favours humanity over polish. Their music speaks not only to the moment it was conceived, but to the universal truths that echo through every era: grief, grace, and the enduring power of love.
‘Love In The Time Of War’ is a reminder that in the face of fracture, art still has the power to heal and to remind us of who we are. As Casa Del Sol continue to gather momentum, this track serves as both a powerful introduction and a moving benchmark of what they’re capable of.
