New Sunfold (Feat. Members of Annuals) - "Sara The American Winter"

Download: Sunfold - "Sara The American Winter"

As you may or may not know, Sunfold are an offshoot of beloved blog buzz band Annuals. In fact, Sunfold pretty much are Annuals, but with band member Kenny Florence in the lead role instead of regular frontman Adam Baker. Earlier this year, Annuals/Sunfold released what was essential a split EP with themselves called Wet Zoo. Now, Sunfold is going to have the spotlight all to themselves, courtesy of Annuals' newly re-formed collective/label Terpsikhore Records.

On July 22nd, the label's first release will be...that's right, you guessed it! Frank Stallone Sunfold. The record is titled Toy Tugboats, and its first absolutely adorable single is called "Sara The American Winter". As you probably ascertained, Annuals and Sunfold have some sonic similarities to one another.

However, the differences are notable. The emphasis for Sunfold's sound seems more grounded in jazz and soul than psychedelia and rock. That said, lovely harmonies? Check. Epic chorus? Double check. Nods to world music? Triple check, especially during the breakdown of the song, where the wordless chants echo a certain afro-pop tune about lions sleeping. In sum, this is solid, but seems unnecessary on the whole. The track essentially sounds like a band imitating Annuals, but doing a good job of it.

Toy Tugboats is out July 22nd.

Sunfold MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)