In what almost feels like a different life, I was a major fanboy of The Young Sinclairs (Roanoke, Virginia). Then again, I can’t recall when I last listened to them, let alone thought about the band. Then, last (Bandcamp) Friday, I suddenly received a notification that they had just released… a new record? SURPRISE!
After a prolific period between 2007–2014 and going quiet following 2019’s Out of the Box, The Young Sinclairs didn’t so much return as gradually find their way back. The reboot started in late 2023, with a reshuffled lineup built around longtime core members Samuel Jones Lunsford, Daniel Cundiff, and Seanmichael Poff, now joined by friends and fellow scene regulars Ben Hudson and John Pence. What began as low-key attic recordings by Lunsford turned into a full band effort, with ideas passed around and fleshed out across different spaces and setups.
The result is Cycles Turning, a loose, homespun take on guitar pop that hangs together on melody and an unpolished DIY feel. The 13 songs are rooted in garage, psych, and power pop but constantly drifting — jangly twelve-string bits and haze slip in. A GBV-esque take on The Byrds, if you will. The 2026 version of The Young Sinclairs is sure a good one!
Add to wantlist: Bandcamp