Pacifico - “Afterglow”
Matthew Schwartz of Pacifico as photographed by Mike Dunn for Rust + Rebel
Pacifico has just given us an epically beautiful song, “Afterglow,” and it is definitely not one to miss. The song begins softly, with the fingerpicking of two acoustic guitars. The vocal and guitar is, at first, padded by noises which I can only characterise as sounding like wind in a distant cave. The vocal performance gently sings over this musical structure and both have been mixed together gorgeously. They exude an extremely lovely emotional quality. Background vocals are added, providing a soft accompaniment in all the right places. Bass and violins slowly begin to flawlessly adorn the song, contributing to the emotional build, which suddenly transitions into a melancholic euphoria in the middle. The track is then elevated by the drumming, and the really lovely wailing of a slide guitar, which both give the melody an underlying melancholic feel. I can only describe the slide as similar to some of the work of George Harrison. The tune is pushed nicely by the chords of an electric guitar. After that, the song returns to its original fingerpicking. This is a fantastic song that displays real craftsmanship. The stop motion video is also worth checking out:
Pacifico says: “‘Afterglow’ is about someone losing their sight later in life, coming to terms with that change, and realizing that they have everything they need,” says Matthew Schwartz of Pacifico. “We were lucky to have Peter Randall — bassist with The Kooks, Seal, and Adele — join us on this one.”