Mortal Primetime
2025 studio album by Sunflower Bean
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Mortal Primetime is the fourth studio album by American rock band Sunflower Bean.[3] It was released on April 25, 2025, by Lucky Number Records in vinyl, CD and digital formats.[2]
| Mortal Primetime | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 25, 2025 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 35:12 | |||
| Label | Lucky Number | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Sunflower Bean chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Mortal Primetime | ||||
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Background
Succeeding the band's 2022 work, Headful of Sugar, Mortal Primetime consists of ten songs between three and four minutes each, with a total runtime of thirty-five minutes and twelve seconds.[2] The first single and opening track, "Champagne Taste", was released on January 28, 2025, with a music video directed by Isaac Roberts.[3][4] The second single, "Nothing Romantic", was released on March 12, 2025.[5] The album incorporates elements of alternative rock, folk, and dream pop.[6]
Reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 88/100[7] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Dork |  |
| The Line of Best Fit | 7/10 |
| New Noise | |
| Paste | 9.0/10 |
| Under the Radar | 8.5/10 |
AllMusic rated the album four and a half stars out of five and stated, "If you fell in love with Sunflower Bean's early indie-pop and marveled at their turn towards alt-rock cool, Mortal Primetime is the best of both worlds; an assured album of rock and roll magic, dusted with emotive pop pathos."[2] Under the Radar assigned it a rating of 8.5 out of ten and remarked, "As a consequence Mortal Primetime doesn't shout; it unfolds. Each melody carries its own quiet weight, revealing a band attuned to the power of restraint and the elegance of a well-placed hook."[8] Paste gave the album a rating of 9.0, describing it as "a record which casts aside the traditional rock-band impetus to choose an era, genre, and style of rock and roll's past to emulate—and instead embraces all of them."[9] The Line of Best Fit scored the album seven out of ten and noted, "Mortal Primetime sees the rebirth of the New York trio; emerging from the shadows of winter to tilt their heads towards the brighter, more fruitful pastures of spring."[10] New Noise, rating Mortal Primetime five stars, described it as a nod "towards the past with eyes towards the future", combining "the undoubtable twang of Gwen Stefani and synth pop sound of Tame Impala to create a sound wholly original."[11] Dork rated the album four out of five and commented about its production, stating it "strikes a delicate balance between vintage warmth and modern clarity."[12] DIY assigned it a rating of four and a half, "Across its ten tracks, the band abandon any fixed notion of genre, weaving together elements of alt-rock, folk, and dreamy, blissful pop with remarkable ease."[6]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Champagne Taste" |
| 3:12 | |
| 2. | "Nothing Romantic" |
|
| 3:34 |
| 3. | "Waiting for the Rain" |
|
| 3:27 |
| 4. | "Look What You've Done to Me" | Cumming |
| 3:00 |
| 5. | "I Knew Love" | Cumming |
| 3:52 |
| 6. | "Take Out Your Insides" |
|
| 3:46 |
| 7. | "There's a Part I Can't Get Back" | Cumming |
| 4:02 |
| 8. | "Please Rewind" | Kivlen |
| 3:02 |
| 9. | "Shooting Star" | Cumming |
| 3:41 |
| 10. | "Sunshine" | Kivlen |
| 3:36 |
| Total length: | 35:12 | |||
Personnel
Credits adapted from Tidal.[13]
Sunflower Bean
- Julia Cumming – vocals, bass guitar (all tracks); production (tracks 1–5, 7–10), piano (1, 6, 7, 9)
- Olive Faber – drums (tracks 1–7, 9–10), production (1–5, 7–10), vocals (4), engineering (9)
- Nick Kivlen – guitar (all tracks), production (tracks 1–5, 7–10), vocals (3, 4, 8), piano (7)
Additional contributors
- Jake Sinclair – production, engineering, percussion (track 6)
- Matt Colton – mastering
- Caesar Edmunds – mixing
- Sarah Tudzin – engineering (tracks 1–5, 7, 8)
- Roger Joseph Manning Jr. – piano (tracks 2–5, 7)
- Emily Elkin – cello (tracks 3, 5, 7, 8)
- Nigel Wilton – engineering assistance (track 6)
Charts
| Chart (2025) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[14] | 69 |
| UK Album Downloads (OCC)[15] | 62 |