Buckle up for an exciting ride with Sweetboy and their debut album A Day In The Park, available everywhere now. Based in New York City, the group captures dynamic songwriting with a blend of rock and folk. Anna Barnett and Jon Flores are both musicians that have always wanted to pursue music but got wrapped up in 9 to 5 jobs after college. After connecting on Craigslist, the two began playing open mics and collaborating, building the band of 5 now known as Sweetboy.
The album, A Day In The Park, is the group’s debut album and showcases a lot of life and sound. Experimenting with stripped down tracks like “Pomegranate” and fuller production songs like “Island.” Immediate comparisons are Taylor Swift, Paramore, and Phoebe Bridgers. All strong pop/rock artists and songwriters that wear their hearts on their sleeves. Similarly, this album captures the feeling that nothing is off the table.
The song “Pomegranate,” opens with just electric guitar picking and Barnett’s vulnerable singing about a girl searching for something bigger than herself. The layering in the vocals is enough to make the song feel big and important. The story in the verses and the chorus express a loss of innocence with, “Here is where I changed / From my child girl in my child world / To you, that stranger in the dark / Who’s waiting on her mother’s voice / To call her back and serve her pomegranate / To call her back and serve her pomegranate.” The use of trumpet makes the song feel like it could fit in on Phoebe Bridger’s Punisher record. Overall, the track has such raw songwriting and cleverly talks about growing up and realizing things will change no matter what.
The next track “Island,” is more experimental than “Pomegranate,” but still holds on the that strong writing that sets them apart from other indie acts. The song is conversational with a driving beat and electric guitar, it tells a story of independence. The chorus is full of strength and gang vocals, passionately singing, “Leave me / Leave me on this island / I won’t sit here crying / I’ll be just fine / Sure one day (One day) / One day I might regret this / And I might come back begging / But not tonight.” The bridge is fantastic and gives a great build and some memorable lyrics. “They say no man is an island / but I am, I am no man.” It is such a cool woman power moment; this entire song does this in such a fun and thoughtful way.
Overall, this whole record is such a strong impression of what Sweetboy is capable of. They have a real message with real things to say. So be sure to go stream this debut album A Day In The Park and look out for their future releases!
Written by Katie Power
FOLLOW SWEETBOY:
