Bad Suns hit the gas on Accelerator—a high-energy ride through love, loss and self-discovery.
With their latest release Accelerator, Bad Suns emerge with a new sense of clarity—both creatively and personally. This marks their first full-length album as a trio, and it lands with a renewed energy that’s equal parts introspective and electrifying. Released on August 8th via Epitaph Records, and produced by longtime collaborator Eric Palmquist, Accelerator spans 12 tracks that explore themes of change, accountability and emotional growth, all wrapped in a danceable, ’90s-inspired pop-rock production.
Frontman Christo Bowman set out with a clear goal: to craft songs that offer personal insight without sounding preachy. The result is a collection that feels reflective rather than instructive—honest snapshots of a man reckoning with transition, sobriety and soon, fatherhood. Rather than trying to fix the world around him, Bowman focuses on the only thing he can control: himself.
The album opens with “Slow Karma,” a brooding, cathartic track that encapsulates the slow but certain arrival of consequence. It’s both a personal anthem of transformation and a broader meditation on emotional cause and effect. Sonically, it leans darker than previous Bad Suns material, gradually building tension through layered instrumentation and a steady, introspective tone.
“Communicating,” one of the album’s early singles and a standout track, flips that mood on its head. It’s bright and upbeat, but the lyrics tell a different story—about the pain of not being heard, the misfires in a relationship where both people are trying but still missing the mark. It’s this contrast between sound and sentiment that gives the song its punch: emotional disconnection disguised as a dance track.
“Mystery Girl” shifts gears again, delving into the tension of being drawn to someone who stays emotionally out of reach. There’s an air of longing, a pull toward someone who remains unknowable. It captures the ache of trying to connect with someone who won’t—or can’t—let themselves be fully seen. Set against dreamy instrumentation, it also hints at Bowman’s reflections on growing up, nostalgia and the impending responsibilities of fatherhood.
Musically, Accelerator is a clear evolution for Bad Suns. The band leans into vibrant synth textures and rhythmic grooves pulled from ‘90s house and dance-pop, breathing fresh life into their indie rock roots. Longtime fans will recognize the DNA of past records such as Language & Perspective and Disappear Here, but this record feels sharper, more focused and emotionally richer.
What ties the album together is a sense of maturity—not in a heavy-handed way, but in its subtle awareness that life is messy, change is inevitable and growth doesn’t happen overnight. Accelerator isn’t trying to be a guidebook. It’s a mirror held up to the messy, beautiful process of becoming someone new.
With a North American tour launching September 18th in Phoenix, and stops in cities like Los Angeles and San Diego, Accelerator is primed to hit harder live. These songs were built to move—not just bodies, but minds and hearts, too.
A vibrant, vulnerable evolution for the band—Accelerator is an emotional journey wrapped in irresistible sound.
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