Enigmatic Welsh alt-pop quartet Safari Gold found success in their mid-teens under the name Cuba Cuba, following bands like Kids in Glasshouses and Funeral For a Friend during the Welsh power-pop zeitgeist of the early 2010′s. In 2011, the band played the Reading & Leeds festival and was approached by legendary US label mogul Seymour Stein about a deal.
This early success at such a young age led to some difficulties for the band and this, coupled with mismanagement, led to the quartet hitting the brakes on their career and disappearing for almost a decade. Their re-introduction with their debut album in 2018 was warmly welcomed and met with high praise. After an unusual decade, the original members are still making music and somehow, still don’t hate each other.
“Instant America” is a single off their forthcoming sophomore album, planned for release in late 2021 on Pet Shop Records. It’s a brooding track that showcases the band’s sophisticated songwriting and deeply textured sound, off-set by vocalist Morgan Isaac‘s signature falsetto. It’s a song of community; the divisiveness in society that came to a head in late 2020 lead the band to question the state of our states. It’s a song of hope that there is something better – a more inclusive ideology and a happier, safer, and more tolerant society.
The intricately produced soundscape layers percussive and string elements between synths and stunning vocals. As the song continues, there is a constant crescendo that builds, slowly creating a more complex atmosphere. Even as the song becomes more intricate, there is still an inescapable pleasant softness that never derails, even during an electrifying solo. “Instant America” is a sonic masterpiece that seeks not to overwhelm listeners, but to invite them along for a reflective journey.
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