Album Review/ Indie Rock : Afternoon in the Park’s ‘Livin’ Around the Sun’

Afternoon in the Park is an indie rock band with a sound that traverses a spectrum of dream pop and arena rock. It is such a whirlwind of sound, taking over the ambience, the energy and the mood. Their latest release is ‘Livin’ Around the Sun’, an album that is fiery and fuzzy in a way that fantastically relates to the theme. Each song holds that magnetic appeal; suspending the listener in the progressing dynamism and ideas. 

‘I Wonder’ opens the album. It has surmounting riffs, splashy beats, inflating basslines and vocals from another world. There is a modernity to the sound, reminiscent of Tame Impala. There’s that psychedelia, dreamy hazes and an encompassing feeling of surreality. Tracks like ‘She’s Loving Me’ and ‘Blood Cocktail’ are made similarly. The whole soundscape comes to life, each iota of space sprung with music, texture, emotion, and chroma. It has that pervading deep rock flavor - that retro, hailing, rock grandeur of the 60s, 70, and 80s, mixed in with more modern manifestations and arena energy. If you enjoy Radiohead, The Who, and Queen, you’ll love this! 

‘Master plan’ and ‘Destination’ go hard and then harder. It has that underground style, an atmosphere of deviance and chaos. The song has a way of alienating you before engulfing you in its charismatic edge. ‘How Could I Be So Lucky’ and ‘I Only Wanna be With You’ give us a feel-good reprieve from the driving momentum of the other tracks. They have that acoustic rock simplicity and warmth in the way that the sound forms. ‘Somehow’ and ‘Softly Damaged’ are pop rock anthems, so easy to soar with, sing along with and surge with. It’ll remind you of early 2000s pop rock, edged with a blurry ambiguous rock ring around it. There are so many worlds, stylistic fusions and artists that these two tracks can be related to. It’s so fun! 

Finally, ‘Take Me Back’ and ‘Now or Never’ conclude the album with an alt rock exploration. The vocals mark the compositions, their fluid/ swirling style and sentiments slathering the soundscape with a sort of unique individualistic charm. Its dark contours, shadowy vocals, smoky riffs; all of it is such a treat to the ears saturated with commercial rock that is everywhere. Listen Now! 

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The album is available for streaming on popular sites like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music! 

You can listen to ‘Livin’ Around the Sun’ by Afternoon in the Park here -