Sun Era follows up its 2025 single “Birds” by dropping “Grounded”, a driving song that’ll help us get through the end of another dark winter and roll our way into the springtime. As opposed to the fuzz and big drums that kick off “Birds”, “Grounded” launches with a big-sounding acoustic guitar accompanied by some light stick clicks and tambourine, then smoothly rolls into the first verse. Almost without a breath, we find ourselves flung into the second verse, forced to pick a winning horse that, well, crashes instead.
Musically, the stand-out section is the acoustic-grunge interlude at 1:14. It breaks up the hypnotic repetition of the main strummed chord sequence found throughout most of the rest of the song. More importantly, it gives us a small taste of the darkness the song is continually hinting at, which is otherwise camouflaged by the perky mood.
The line from this musician in Maryland that sticks in your head jumps out in the third verse: “Armchair quarterback / Tone it down a bit / Didn’t hear you come home / And I’m not feeling it / You look different”. So, although our protagonist follows that up by claiming he “feels grounded”, it sounds like there is a little bit of trouble in paradise, wouldn’t you say? Satisfying, playful electric guitars dance around, taking us into the fade out.
Take a listen to “Grounded” below, and follow Sun Era on their socials to stay informed on upcoming music, including a new album coming later this year.
Written by Greg Gobel
