New York’s own “sun kissed” indie rock band Petite League released their latest single “Paradise Park” this past Friday. The track features the theme of longing for being on the dancefloor until the house lights come on and the security guards kick you out.
“Paradise Park” is a groovy indie number featuring a fun electronic synth introduction and distant vocals layered with a bold instrumental track.
One of the things that always draws me back to Petite League is their lyrics, and “Paradise Park” is no exception. The song features metaphors of fires and images of dust unsettled by the bass of the DJ booth. These images allude to the track’s theme of unexpected comfort found in dive bars and their nightlife.
“All I’ve ever known is feeling in the dark,” sings Lorenzo Gillis Cook, Petite Leagues frontman, to describe the night’s active hours only to realize he’s alone in the wreckage when the house lights come on.
Founded by Cook and Henry Schoonmaker, with live performance members Adam Greenberg and Kevin McCallum, Petite League prides itself on its do-it-yourself mindset that still impacts the way that they present themselves as a band. “Paradise Park” follows a string of Petite League singles from “East River Swimmer” to “Bastards of Young” released as an experiment with non-record releases. These songs were released throughout the last few months of 2023 that culminated in their EP “Suburban Speed Demons.”
“We’ve never really experimented with non-record releases before,” said Cook in an Instagram post. “These songs are intentionally a mixed bag sonically to see what’s hitting and could help indicate the direction of a future record.”
The EP was followed by another seemingly random release in 2024 of a single titled “Bad Words.” If these promising experimental releases, and “Paradise Park” of course, are any indication of the direction Petite League plans to take their music, I can assure that their next albums will be exceptional.
Fortunately for fans, the band confirmed on Instagram that “Paradise Park” comes ahead of their upcoming album “Dead Star City Tour” set to be released on May 30. As a long-time listener, I am excited to see where this new era takes Petite League. If you’re interested in anything alternative or indie, definitely check out “Paradise Park.”
5/5
jhammer@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of @petiteleague, Instagram
