Jacksonville bred psychedelic, indie pop-rock duo SUNBEARS!, consisting of Jonathan Berlin and Jared Bowser, intrigue and delight through their November released album You Will Live Forever, which also came out on random multicolor vinyl, (yes, each one is one of a kind) earlier this January. Within this album, SUNBEARS! delivers a depiction of love and life that is both joyous and tumultuous, as they examine many of life's fundamental questions about love, the universe, death, and the human perception.

This album opens with "You Will Live Forever," a melancholy track depicting a sense of loss and yearning through its use of piano and lyric-less vocals. This track is quickly countered by "Give Love a Try," a genuine plea to do just that - and to always keep in mind life's bigger picture. This song is both honest and uplifting lyrically: "It seems that everything has to mean something / The universe, eternity and such," as well as instrumentally, through use of hand clapping, tambourine, and its very catchy, upbeat bass-line. The playful, psychedelic nature of this track, comparable to both the Flaming Lips and T.Rex, brings the listener into the mood of the album, which continues down this relatable theme of unification, understanding, love, and the grand question of life's purpose.

The fourth track, "Together Forever" has a distinct Beatles influence that culminates with some really great guitar moments, flowing directly into the next track on the album, "Psychic Numbing is Evil!". This song opens with Pink Floyd-esque instrumentals and vocals reminiscent of Clare Torry's work on Dark Side of the Moon. It's a short but intense track, and continues the Pink Floyd sound straight into "Strung Out! On My Own!" the opening pace of which evokes the "Phantom of the Opera" theme song. This song contains lyrics that question sanity and the ability to remain in control of your own life: "Did you think I'd be afraid? / Every time you ran away? / Did you think I'd lose my head? / Every time I'm left for dead." "Dying Alone, Without Yourself" offers a very different sound and emotion than the rest of the album up until this point. This lugubrious track focuses on the end of life and the process of dying. He asks why? Why? Why? He asks Why? This song translates to pure, clean, emotion, digging deep into the soul and stating life's most basic sentiments, "he's living inside himself / his body unwinds itself / his head is a prison cell for his thoughts." Through light guitar and deep humming, the end of the song gives the listener the impression of floating away, leaving the heavy weight of the world behind.

"They Think They're Soooo Philosophical" is a track as excellent as its title, with a tune so catchy that you can't help but to bob your head along. This tune pokes fun at the same type of over-analysis that defines the album as a whole. "She finds the dirt to have meaning / and finds the birds to be divine." The heavy instrumental moments of this song are perfectly paired with tambourine, allowing the track to maintain its poppy, upbeat sound, even when laid over lyrics "Yeah, our brains are decayed, our teeth will fall right out of our head." The song winds down beautifully, parting with the sentiment, "don't stop your smile when you feel deserted / the world's gonna change if you do."

SUNBEARS! channel The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" though the song "Stumbling in Twilight," which contains a very similar violin backing, as well as lyrics that evoke similar mental images of loneliness. The final song on the album "Live! Don't Stop Trying!", a steady, beautifully vocalized Flaming Lips style tune with pensive lyrics; the closing track acknowledges that the album as a whole is a series of questions about the nature of life and the universe that can never be answered. "I know there is no answer to this life. Live, don't stop trying / Just live, don't stop trying."

You Will Live Forever is a truly buoyant, inspiring album with a sentiment that comes full circle. It depicts a celebration of life that acknowledges all its own imperfections. SUNBEARS! bring the listener in through their catchy indie-pop vocals, heavy snare, tambourine, hand clapping, and recognizable influences; but keep them mesmerized through themes of the inevitable mental turmoils and triumphs that are a vibrant and continuous aspect of life.

Track List:

1. You Will Live Forever
2. Give Love a Try
3. I'm Crazy
4. Together Forever
5. Psychic Numbing is Evil
6. Strung Out! On my Own!
7. Dying Alone, Without Yourself
8. They Think They're Soooo Philosophical
9. It's Hard! Be Content Where You Are!
10. Uncertainty Paradigm
11. Stumbling In Twilight
12. We're Alive
13. Live! Don't Stop Trying!