Briston Maroney
Sunburn Fades
Release: June 23, 2023
Review by JoAnn Snavely
Following hot on the heels of Briston Maroney's single Body, which was released earlier last month, Maroney releases the second single for his upcoming album Ultrapure.
The Nashville-based musician announced his sophomore album at the beginning of May; on the announcement, Maroney states that "this is the proudest and most excited I've been to share anything I've ever made, truly. I've never made something that felt more like who I am. I can't wait to introduce y'all to that person". And with the release of the last two singles, fans are beginning to see a new sound overtaking Maroney's discography.
Body is the lead single off the forthcoming album and is an upbeat song about growing up and the ever-present fears surrounding it. It pairs funky electric instrumentalism with a slightly distorted vocal with the looming theme that we all eventually leave our 'bodies'. Still, in a more bittersweet twist, it is our job to simply live like we only have today and need to love like we may never get to love again.
This new single, Sunburn Fades, takes a similar approach to life; the song was based on a trip to Dollywood that Maroney took a couple of years ago. The single depicts core memories from that trip, like long, hot drives over summer where nothing matters except the shared moments and even making a mistake you regret even today – mistakes we've all universally made. These shared memories are interrupted by what seems to be Maroney's looming doubt, with fears that piggyback off of Body – fears of leaving this world. In the song, Maroney asks:
"If I go, would I be Someone's anything? Somehow everything Could I settle for less? I feel blessed, I feel cursed"
Aside from lyrical similarities to Body, it shares the same vocal distortion as the single. This song is different from its predecessor with its choice of instrumentalism. Being a pseudo-acoustic song, primarily dubbing the acoustic guitar throughout with slight bouts of electric elements. It seems to be Maroney's most raw and emotional single yet. Even with the vocal distortion and minor electric elements, the single is a step in the new, most unaverted version of Briston Maroney.
Briston Maroney's sophomore album Ultrapure is out September 22nd this year, with his second annual Paradise Festival following shortly after. He also will be going on his EU/UK tour to support the album at the end of this year.
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