I didn't see many echoing my sentiments when I put forth an Afternoon Bike Ride cut for Song of the Summer last year, but I stand by it. Today, the Montreal trio of David Tanton, Éloi Le Blanc-Ringuette and Lia Kurihara are back with another exquisite, lo-fi dream-pop ditty.
Arriving via Friends of Friends Music, "The Ride" marks the band's first new material since their sophomore album Glossover — which they released in February 2023 and have spent the last year touring behind.
“'The Ride' is about the big picture of being alive," Afternoon Bike Ride said of the track in a press release. "It’s a reflection on how beautiful the unpredictability of our experience is and how we can choose to let our worries or love guide us. Also at the end of the day, I’m just another human like everyone else so what do I really know?”
Doing what they do so well, the trio merge the worlds of ambient music, field recordings, pop and indie rock, even finding a bit of a soul-inspired groove pocket this time around. "The Ride" revels in the highs and lows, in some moments paring things down to little more than Kurihara's pellucid voice — then gently bursting the bubble open with fluttery synths and a backbeat on the effortlessly catchy hook.
Give it a listen below.
