Sweethearts is the eighth full-length album by Atlanta’s rock ‘n’ roll quartet Gringo Star, eleven surfy garage psych songs—including a cover of Little Red Riding Hood (Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs, 1966)—on which Peter Furgiuele (vocals, guitars, percussion, keys), Nicholas Furgiuele (vocals, guitars, bass, percussion) and Joshua Longino (backup vocals, bass, guitars, percussion, keys) switch instruments again and again while Mario Colangelo (drums, percussion) provides a steady beat. They are dreamy love letters—written for the present, but with echoes of the past—full of subtle sadness and romantic nostalgia, wrapped in heartfelt warm melodies and lush doo-wop harmonies.
Don’t let the laidback feel fool you though, because there’s much more going on in the rich underlying layers than you might expect, both musically and vocally. In that respect, the multifaceted circus theme in the video for latest single Count The Ways is striking: the importance of perseverance and maintaining a positive outlook against contemporary life’s uncertainties is represented by clowns, with their happy front and hidden sorrowful side.
Sweethearts, produced by Peter and Nicholas Furgiuele, is out now digitally and on vinyl LP via Dizzybird Records.