Food & Music Pairing: And So I Watch You From Afar

And So I Watch You From Afar - All Hail Bright Futures

is best enjoyed with...

Pop rocks and Jones Soda

So, full disclosure: ASIWYFA's third album was released on my birthday, which means it was essentially the universe's present to me. And I guess the universe was in a celebratory mood: this is nothing short than joyous. Their previous work, Gangs, harnessed some of this sheer positive energy on a handful of tracks, but wasn't afraid to stray into darker territory for its majority. All Hail Bright Futures is unequivocally happy, like the Irish band has been hanging out a lot with labelmates Fang Island--which isn't a bad thing. The songs tend to veer shorter and sweeter, but crafted with the intensity and creativity in tone, structure, and rhythm that make them so powerful. It keeps you surprised, in a very pleasant way, and has a smack of sunshine to it, so the pop rocks candy won't have a choice but to join in. And Jones soda? With the bright colors and awesome flavors? Happy birthday to me, y'all.