SUNFLOWER BEAN 8.3.23

The agony and ecstasy of contemporary American life fuels Sunflower Bean’s third album, a psychedelic headrush designed to be played loud, windows down. Headful of Sugar is about outsiders disillusioned with the modern world; they search for freedom and meaning in a culture that runs on the 24-hour newscycle, soulless laptop jobs, and dozens of brands of hard seltzer. In spite of their alienation, these misfits refuse to be beaten down, buoyed by the relief found in interpersonal relationships that counteract the daily barrage of cheap entertainment and convenience. “We wanted to write about the lived experience of late capitalism, how it feels everyday, the mundanity of not knowing where every construct is supposed to ultimately lead you,” Nick Kivlen says. “The message is in the title: this is about fast pleasures, the sugar of life, the joy that comes with letting go of everything you thought mattered.”

$20 @ The Door