Natalise +The Sunset Run Glimpses of the Sun Ep Review: Warm

Los Angeles/San Francisco-based indie pop band Natalise + The Sunset Run have released their debut EP titled Glimpses of the Sun, a set of five tracks that take you on an emotional journey starting out gloomy and ending with radiance. The lyrics are inspiring, with the theme of the tracks conveying a repetitive theme of self-love, heartache and gratefulness. Initially emerging with the track, “Abandon” which seamlessly combines several genres pairing drums, guitars and bass with Natalise’s smooth and velvety lyrics about losing love in a relationship and ultimately declaring to save yourself.

“Love Unconditional” opens with a mellow piano tempo later accompanied by Natalise’s floating vocals segueing into another declaration of self-love and staying true to yourself. The track slightly builds momentum throughout, with guitars and drums entering later on; and concluding with an encouraging message, “Know you will find your way, you are love unconditional.”

“See Me” is a well executed melancholy ballad, with lyrics “I’m drowning in a sea of your cold gray maybes.” By pairing soft falsettos to a delicate combination of the violin and piano, an emotional listening experience was further enhanced by lyrics that speak from the heart on heartbreak from relationships or lack thereof.

One of the strongest singles on Glimpses of The Sun is “The Lucky Ones”, whose lyrics to the ballad were inspired by two people close to Natalise that were diagnosed with Cancer, which also provided the title of the EP “The one thing that I trust is the time when we were us/They’re like glimpses of the sun.” The universal message of the track is to be grateful for the moments we have with our loved ones and truly cherish them even though, “You realize that life can be really bittersweet and sometimes filled with loss,” Natalise said in a press release promoting the album.

Glimpses of The Sun is a gentle-sounding EP. Natalise + The Sunset Run’s appreciation for piano-centric songs and honest heartfelt melodies has resulted in a stunning statement of self-actualization. From “Abandon” to “The Lucky Ones”, are moments to be grateful, to never give up on yourself for you will always be the common factor of your life.