I was first introduced to Sundae Best at a local house show (shoutout to the Paper Cutouts and their My Indie Valentine event!), and I was immediately blown away by them. It’s a testament to a band’s talent when their live music is so entertaining that it brings in new listeners as if they’ve been long-term fans. After the event, I made sure to listen to the album they recently put out (“Assorted Flavors”) and was genuinely impressed by their sound.
In “Assorted Flavors,” Sundae Best presents a developed identity that is impressively established in the band’s first album. The album goes from defiant anthems of anti-capitalist sentiments to fun declarations of love to introspective ballads that reflect on one’s place in the world. All of this is somehow accomplished under the theming of ice cream, adding greater whimsy to an already satisfying album.
There is so much to point out and appreciate in this work; every time I relisten to this album, I find something new that I didn’t notice before. Most notably, every single band member and instrument offers a different flavor for the listener to enjoy. The easiest layer to pick out is Sundae Best’s vocals. Comprised of two singers, Sundae Best displays excellent vocal prowess, shown through a surprising range, enchanting vocal tones, powerful belting, and unforgettable melodies. (Every time a man with a higher-pitched voice sings, an angel gains its wings.) The guitars and bass encapsulate the listener in a stunning groove that supports the melody’s strength with instrumentation that you feel in your body and soul. The drums are actually my favorite part of Sundae Best’s sound, as they stand out so strongly due to being so unique and bold. Rather than existing simply as a mechanical metronome, the drums elevate each song and flourish them with life. Overall, each element mixes together into a beautiful culmination that you can’t help but enjoy over and over again.
In the future, I would like to hear more music like “Spumoni Blues,” from Sundae Best. This song changes the tone of the album to one that is complexly sorrowful and . As wonderful as their upbeat music is, “Spumoni Blues” revealed a deeply emotional side of the band that opens the door to a greater range that would be fascinating to delve deeper into in new music.
Looking at Specific Songs:
Standout Songs:
Act Your Wage
Tired of the soul-sucking capitalism that consumes your everyday life as you try to make enough money to survive? “Act Your Wage” is the perfect song for you! This song proudly rejects the expectations for people to endure the grueling world of labor and encourages its listeners to recognize how they are subjugated to corporations that only care about profit.
“Act Your Wage” is arguably the song that stands out the most from the album, with its striking lyrics, catchy vocal melody, and spunky instrumentals. The song begins with just the vocalist and relaxed instrumentals, allowing the message of the song to resonate before the rest of the band kicks into action. I was hooked onto Sundae Best’s sound because I was so instantly enamored with this song. A huge reason why I’m drawn to this song is that it pushes the listener to not give in to capitalism, rather than just framing these circumstances as miserable and inescapable. I feel empowered listening to this, rather than demoralized, especially with powerful declarations like the line “Hold your head up high / don’t let your spirits die!” Sundae Best asks for you to recognize your worth and remember who you are outside of numbers on a paycheck. Anytime I want to boost my energy before (ironically) going to work or de-stress after a long day, I’ll put this song on repeat and find myself immediately uplifted.
Spumoni Blues
I mentioned this song earlier as a standout for differing so strongly from the rest of the album’s more upbeat tone. I got the chance to hear this song live, and was so moved by the singer’s emotional depth and clear grief and pain. The recorded track similarly transmits this song’s beauty; this song is currently my go-to song to put on whenever I want to crash out.
This song acts as a goodbye message to a person who the singer is leaving, as they are no longer able to continue lying about being fine around them anymore. I am blown away by Sundae Best’s ability to capture such a complicated and difficult goodbye. I was astounded to find someone put the despair, regret, and anger that results from ending a relationship so perfectly into words and melody. The accomplished portrayal of these overlapping, difficult relationships with few lyrics and the build of the instrumentation throughout the song speaks to Sundae Best’s emotional intelligence and songwriting skill. Those who enjoy music like “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over” by Jeff Buckley and “Night Shift” by Lucy Dacus will absolutely crashing out to “Spumoni Blues.”
Other Favorites:
Call You Back
God, I love this song. I immediately added this song to my playlists as soon as I heard the song’s melody in the first verse. Mimicking that of a ringtone, the singer immediately immerses you into the idea of hearing someone call you and letting the ringtone play.
Sundae Best’s vocals stand out so much in this song. I am blown away by the vocal range that is displayed, and always have a blast trying to harmonize with the singer during the chorus and bridge. I recommend this track to anyone who looks for unique vocals, great vocal skill, and an unbelievably catchy melody.
Praline Queen
This song arguably does the best job of capturing the band’s ice cream theming. This song is a beautiful love song that somehow sounds like ice cream on a hot summer’s day tastes and feels. I wish I had more to say, but this song is super groovy and fun.
Final Thoughts:
I absolutely recommend this album and encourage anyone reading this to go listen to Sundae Best ASAP! This album has definitely gone platinum in my car and household, and I genuinely believe Sundae Best is ridiculously underrated for what they are capable of. “Assorted Flavors” is available to stream on your service of choice. Below, I’ll be linking their linktree, which includes their social media, as well as links to Spotify and Apple Music to check out their music.
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