It’s a thoughtful start to 2019. Sunnbrella open up with sad-disco number ‘Nick Hornby’.
2019 may be the year of the sad-disco. A quick glance at the press surrounding the rapid rise of Liverpool hit-maker Pizzagirl seems to be an indicator of people yearning to dance, but to their sorrows, not in celebration of their upcoming booze-fuelled weekend.
Sad disco may start where machine intelligence ends, how can anyone emotionally connect for more than a second or so, to the flimsy and heartless algorithmic approach to chart-pop which we’re spoon fed on mainstream radio.
Not too long ago Sunnbrella released Outta Focus, a deep thinking, anxiety-filled dream pop number. This time around with the unveiling of Nick Hornby, honesty is again policy. On this upbeat, guitar-drenched exorcism, Sunnbrella head straight for the dancefloor, as songwriter David Zbirka admits “Nick Hornby is probably the most dancey track I’ve done so far, although it’s still a bit of a sad disco.. it’s mainly about feeling guilty about having to make a selfish decision. It’s kind of an apology song, but there’s still a sense of certainty about the decision.”
Recorded in Zbirka’s bedroom, mixed by Patrick James Fitzroy of London alt-rock outfit Heavy Heart and mastered by long time friend and collaborator Oliver Torr, the fruit of their labour doesn’t fall unnoticed. The track’s sweet dream pop core isn’t lost against a backdrop of part jangle pop, part spaced out shoegaze fuzz.
Nick Hornby will play part of Sunnbrella‘s upcoming EP Wanted Time, set for release on cassette in late January.
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