A Place In The Sun holds a special place in my heart in that it features “My Own Worst Enemy” which is the first song that I ever played live in front of a group of people. During eighth grade my middle school held a Talent Show where students were invited to participate. It was a classic middle school talent show– dancers, lip syncers, jugglers, all of the standard fare. My band The Days of Stillness grabbed one of the slots, somehow decided that the lyrical content of “My Own Worst Enemy” that detailed self-destructive behavior like being drunk, smoking cigarettes, and crashing cars in the front yard was appropriate for the middle school market, and proceeded to lay down one of the jankiest covers of “My Own Worst Enemy” the world had ever seen. It was the early 2000’s so we were clad in JNCO jeans, pooka shells, and studded belts– we really looked the part in all the best ways. I’m sure there is a copy of the performance on VHS stuffed in one of our parents garages sitting out there waiting to be found and if I get my hands on it I’ll be sure to digitize it and drop a link below to preserve it for posterity. The world needs to see that performance forever.
The rest of A Place In The Sun is actually a pretty excellent alternative rock record. We’re obviously dealing with a sense of nostalgia here, but lead singer Jay Popoff’s vocal melodies and gritty late 90’s esque enunciation brings a ton of energy to the relatively straightforward bangers the band churned out. As a bassist one thing I always appreciated about Lit was how bassist Kevin Baldes emphasized and harmonized certain percussive elements with high notes that were locked in tight with drummer Allen Shellenberger. It elevates their sound in a way that’s enjoyable and keeps things fresh.
Standout Songs: “My Own Worst Enemy”, “Four”, “Zip-Lock”, “Miserable”
