Sunflower Bean - Moment In The Sun

Sunflower Bean’s new single, ‘Moment in the Sun’, is the first of, hopefully, many new releases from the New Yorker/ Brooklynite band. Cumming, Kivlen, Faber and the 2018 addition of Danny Ayala bring us an aptly late summer song for a summer we will never get back. In the words of the band themselves: “’Moment in the Sun’ is about finally recognising what is important in one’s life, the people you decide to spend it with” – a realisation that has come all too swiftly for most people since the start of this year.

As always, Faber’s simple but unwavering drum beat excels in complementing Cumming’s driving bass line and Kivlen’s eclectic rhythm/lead guitar tones. Alongside the addition of Ayala’s most noticeable appearance yet on keys, Sunflower Bean are once again proving they can keep us all on our toes by continuously innovating their own sound... 

Their debut, Human Ceremony (2016), showcased the insecurity of youth; their sophomore , Twentytwo in Blue (2018) gave us youthful realisation, an album that metaphorizes the journey to find your place in this world. ‘Moment in the Sun’ seems inspired by the act of growing up and is seemingly more introspective than their previous releases.

The single is a lot more poppy than their 2019 EP release, King of the Dudes, and in my opinion that is not a bad thing. ‘Moment in the Sun’ has similarities with songs like ‘Twentytwo’ and ‘Memoria’ from their second album. But where Twentytwo in Blue sounds seemingly Fleetwood Mac and Wild Nothing inspired, ‘Moment in the Sun’ offers us a restyled, unique, Sunflower Bean sound – differing from their debut album which had what could be argued as their initial unique sound. Julia Cumming stated in an Instagram post amidst the release of this single that “[‘Moment in the Sun’]’s the first genuinely happy song we ever wrote, and we never knew exactly where it would fit in.”. 

Personally, I believe it could have fit into their sophomore album, Twentytwo in Blue (2018), however, that period of time was post-presidential election and their music became a product of that anguish of the Trump election, further evident in their 2019 EP, King of the Dudes. ‘Moment in the Sun’ would have seemed out of place in the style and emotion they were attempting to convey throughout their 2018-2019 releases. 

Because of this, it furthers my point of how apt this song is for the times we are currently living, it almost serves as a reminder that although we are in a difficult moment now, the things that are most important to us are still going to be waiting on the other side.

- Charlie Cowburn

@chazza_razza

@record.factory