The first time I heard Brooklyn’s City of the Sun, I was living in New York and watching the end of the cultural boom that had drawn throngs of hipsters to the city post-9/11. Venues were boarding up due to high rent, artists were getting priced out of neighborhood after neighborhood, and the city was becoming more of a corporate shell than ever. But good art still existed if you knew where to find it. And sometimes, that meant going underground.
I mean, literally underground. City of the Sun got their start busking in the NYC subway, like most artists who want to get discovered. At the time, they had their guitars, a box drum, incredible music, and a dream. The few venues left were not keen on hosting an instrumental act, especially one with a sound so different from their usual fare. But one day, someone passed their public performance, and the band’s blend of indie rock, American folk, flamenco, and blues grabbed their shirt and said, “You love us.” That person, someone somewhat important, gave the band a performance slot at the 2013 TED conference. That was the opportunity the band needed.
Two full-length albums, several EPs, and countless live performances later, the band continues to produce incredible cinematic pieces. Under the Moon contains thirteen tracks, most of which stay north of five minutes. But the performance justifies the album’s length, for each piece unravels like a story as bright and colorful as not just the city of the band’s origin, but the places all over the world that influence their music.
Yes, the diversity of New York has provided its tints to City of the Sun’s music throughout their existence, but in the last several years, they have played in cities like London, Paris, Athens, and beyond to sold-out rooms and astounded crowds. They’ve also found their extensive touring schedule interrupted due to world events – especially the COVID-19 lockdowns – which caused venues to go dark. Given that Under the Moon is the band’s first full-length release since 2020, it feels like a reintroduction to and reinvention of the band’s sound.
The band includes two of its OG members, guitarist John Pita and drummer Zach Para, as well as guitarist Marco Bolfelli and bassist Matt Fasano. Legendary producer Phil Ek (Fleet Foxes, Father John Misty, Built to Spill) took the production reins for Under The Moon, providing further studio expertise to the album’s sound and giving the record the live and spontaneous feel that put the band on the map and gained them their cult following.
The first moments of “Un Disparo al Corazón”, the record’s first track, unfold with echo guitars that remain subdued, almost withdrawn like the desperation of a heart yearning for something to break, a crowd of people waiting for something to drop, or musicians itching to share their art with a shut-off world. Then, the second half of the second adds the drums, growing in volume and intensity, but never quite resolving. Instead, the song chooses to follow the musical thread of the guitars, feeling the vibe’s natural movement. It smacks of the post-rock craze of the 2000s: Explosions in the Sky, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and the like. It ends like a sunrise, with the guitars reaching a fever pitch and the music bright, symbolizing the ending of dark times.
By the time the last seconds of the first track have woken you up, you’re ready for a groove, which the band provides on “London”. It captures the frenzy of the UK’s capital: Cars rushing down the left side of the road, people crossing through Picadilly Circus, bustling cafes and offices, police whistles and bicycle bells, and the nonstop motion of the Underground, much like the one in New York where City of the Sun got their start. In fact, London was the city where the band discovered their international appeal. They dedicate this song to its namesake, although the surf rock elements give more of a Californian vibe (which will come up in name later on the record.)
Many of the tracks on Under The Moon evoke the imagery of a certain place. On “Hotel Alma”, the Mediterranean vibes bring to mind images of Spanish rooftops and red sand, walking down smoky streets and feeling the hot sun roasting the cheeks. “Angeles”, as mentioned, gives the feel of California, but one operating on a slower groove, like a late-night coast down Sunset Boulevard after a long night of partying. Perhaps the vibe feels most prevalent on “Vuela”, which the band created with Spanish singer-songwriter Gizmo Varillas. The song draws on Argentinian folk legends as well as Latin and African rhythms, creating what feels like a timeless piece of music.
“Vuela” is one of the rare City of the Sun tracks to feature words, by the way. Pita says, “The serendipity of this song is that we didn’t write it for vocals. It just happened – Gizmo created a beautiful melody.”
Some tracks on the album don’t touch on specific places more so than they take inspiration from specific people. On “Cinderella Man”, the band uses the story of boxer James J. Braddock as a lens, telling of his struggle through the ebb and flow of the music. The song ends with a brilliant arpeggiated outro, sounding like Braddock – the Cinderella Man himself – succeeding in upsetting the champion Max Baer and celebrating his victory.
“Twenty Twenty One” is a cousin to “Un Disparo al Corazón”, in that it addresses the pain the band felt during the COVID lockdowns which prevented them from doing what they loved most: Not simply making music, but sharing it live and up close. The song retains just an ounce of hope, as most had in the year following the first lockdowns, that things would return to normal. And while in 2026 the world has opened up again, other conflicts and global worried have continued to threaten what “normalcy” looks like. But despite whatever happens, City of the Sun will for sure find a way to make incredible music.
And sometimes, that incredible music is just fun. “Ciudad” brings to mind people dancing in the middle of New York’s Union Square on a warm summer night, while “Ella” brings a frisky disco vibe to the album that could light up a club in cities from San Juan to Shanghai to San Francisco. “Bajo la Luna” – Spanish for “Under the Moon” – sounds very much like the soundtrack for the end of the night, even though the moonlight strikes everyone in such a way that makes them not quite ready to go home.
The final track – “Metamorphosis” – showcases every facet of the band’s musical mastery, not just in how they perform, but in how they tell a story. Like on the first track, they begin with softness and subtlety, letting the music grow naturally. More intense beats come without feeling forced. The music reforms around itself, changing and shifting at a pace so gradual it’s almost unnoticeable. By the end, the song marks another sunrise, but one much different and mysterious than the one at the end of “Un Disparo al Corazón”. That sunrise felt hopeful and bright. What will this sunrise bring?
The final track’s title touches on the changes that City of the Sun has experienced over nearly a dozen years of existence. From the deep caverns of the New York City subway to venues all over the world, the band has embarked on a journey that has changed them for the better, not just as musicians, but as people. Exploration, conservation, and community – whether in their home base of New York or halfway across the world – has enriched and metamorphosed them, as such things do for all humans. When opportunities may come that give us the means to open up our bodies, hearts, and minds to new horizons, we should grab them as hard as we can. Like City of the Sun, they may help us step out of the darkness of the underground and see the light, whether it’s that of the sun or the moon.
It is quite incredible to see the massive growth of the funky instrumental band I once passed in the Union Square subway station. They’ve got a tour planned for May 2026, starting in Mexico and traveling through the Midwest and Northeast US toward their homecoming show at Elsewhere in Brooklyn. Check out the tour dates below, and also take a listen to Under the Moon, preferably at top volume on your rooftop underneath in the thick of night.
TOUR DATES:
- May 7 – San José del Cabo, MX @ Viva El Gonzo Festival
- May 17 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
- May 18 – Columbus, OH @ Rumba Cafe
- May 19 – Ferndale, MI @ The Magic Bag
- May 20 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison
- May 21 – Montreal, QB @ Bar Le Ritz PDB
- May 23 – Portland, ME @ Oxbow Blending and Bottling
- May 25 – South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
- May 27 – Philadelphia, PA @ Milkboy
- June 3 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere
Written by Will Sisskind
