Emerging once more from the weary streets of New York, Sunflower Bean returns in 2025 with Mortal Primetime — but this time, there’s less glitter, more gravity. The album weaves together the introspective pulse of alternative rock, the storytelling bones of folk, and the hazy textures of dream pop. The result: not quite a nostalgia album, but a time album.
“Champagne Taste” – After the Fizz of Desire
One of the album’s standout singles, “Champagne Taste”, sounds fancy in name but bites harder in content. It plays like a melodic manifesto for a generation seduced by “too much,” yet forced to reckon with its own “not enough.” Julia Cumming’s vocals straddle cool detachment and quiet fracture — like a breakup line spoken without ever making eye contact.
“Nothing Romantic” – Aftermath of a Feeling
As its title suggests, “Nothing Romantic” offers no illusion. It neither glamorizes love nor tears it down — it simply lays it bare. The track’s echo-laced guitars and subtle synth undercurrents sweep listeners into a dreamlike sequence. But it’s not a sweet dream — it’s an honest one.
A Clearer, More Vulnerable Sunflower Bean
Mortal Primetime trades in some of the experimental leanings of the band’s earlier work for a more confident stillness. Everything feels sharper: the rhythms slower, the lyrics more straightforward, and the sound matured — brushing up against a sense of graceful resignation. With this record, Sunflower Bean seems to move from the thrill of youth into the intuition of something older, deeper.
Sunflower Bean isn’t chasing trends or clinging to its past. Mortal Primetime feels like a transitional moment — the golden hour between sunset and nightfall. You don’t know what’s coming next, but you can’t look away. Listen closely, because this album will pass… but its aftertaste will linger.
