Fresh Track: Sonny and the Sunsets “Pretend You Love Me”

For his eighth studio album, Sonny Smith will deal almost explicitly with a familiar theme: the break-up. Longtime Companion is due to hit stores on June 26, and finds Smith wrestling with heartache of a busted 10-year marriage. Judging from the first single, “Pretend You Love Me”, we can discern that Smith and his backing band, The Sunsets, have abandoned the surf-heavy garage rock of their 2011 release Hit After Hit for a mellowed, country vibe.

Sonny and the Sunsets are in the midst of a professional divorce at the same time that their lead-singer deals with his personal one. After a pair of flops during a stint with Fat Possum, the band will release their latest LP on Polyvinyl Record Co.  I can’t speak to the quality of the entire release, but I am excited by the change of pace indicated on the first single. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a good break-up record? They have represented some of the biggest hits of the last several years (see: Adele 21, The Black Keys Brothers). Perhaps this new chapter, personally and professionally, will lead to success for Smith and the gang. Listen to “Pretend You Love Me” below.

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Written by Rob Peoni