Long Beach legends Sublime tackle loss and paternal bonds in their heart-wrenching new single, “Until the Sun Explodes.”

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Stream: “Until the Sun Explodes” – Sublime

Recently, something crawled out of the murky waters surrounding Long Beach, California.

A new single from ‘90s rock icons Sublime, famous for hits like “Wrong Way” and “What I Got,” dubbed “Until the Sun Explodes.” This comes as the second new original tune out of Sublime since founding members Bud Gaugh and Eric Wilson teamed up with Jakob Nowell, son of deceased frontman Bradley Nowell, to reignite the band in December 2023. The 2020s reboot of Sublime has been met with mixed reception from fans, some being thrilled that their favorite punk band is back and some detesting the outfit, calling it a shameless cash grab. “Until the Sun Explodes” has continued the tradition of splitting the fanbase’s opinion. Despite its controversial nature among fans, the song has found its way up Sublime’s most popular song charts, meaning it must be doing something to appeal to listeners.

Well, it only goes ’til the sun explodes
And I’d only hope that
you know I owe you my life
Oh, do you know I owe you my life?
Well, do you know? Do you know?

While I was thinkin’ ’bout you
at your favorite bar
They were playing old pornos on the VCR
Why should I feel so close
to you when you are so far?
That night, I dreamed when I got home
I heard your voice on my telephone
And when I woke up
I was all alone

No matter where you stand on the matter of Sublime 2.0’s legitimacy, it’s impossible to deny that “Until the Sun Explodes” is as authentic a Sublime song as we’ve heard since Bradley’s death. The song eases you in with some gentle strumming and a soft beat as Jakob croons the first chorus. This lulls you into believing this is going to be a slow song, but, just as you’re accepting the tune as a ballad, it sneaks up behind you with a drop into fast-paced palm-muted guitars and dirty bass lines that deliver a hit of whiplash like the kind you would receive from surviving a pit maneuver. This dominates the song’s run time, with there being only sudden reprieves from it during each chorus, where things slow back down slightly just to be kicked back up as soon as Nowell finishes belting. Musically, “Until the Sun Explodes” is a one-for-one reproduction of the classic Sublime sound that produced tunes like “Same in the End” and “Greatest Hits.”

Lyrically, the song is pretty basic. You can tell within about thirty seconds that this song is a dedication to Bradley. Jakob sings about going to his dad’s favorite places, hanging out in his bar of choice, and hearing his songs on the radio whenever he needs them most. Is there anything wrong with that? No. The lyrics don’t have to be an intricate web of layered storytelling replete with subversive symbolism to be great; we already get enough of that from Tool. They need only to properly express the emotion behind them. “Until the Sun Explodes” is a heart-wrenching testimony of a son who never met his father and yet owes everything to him. It’s a message of gratitude from Jakob to Bradley, wherever he may be in the cosmos, thanking him for everything and wishing he could be here to see it.

Nowell put it best when he said, “It [Until the Sun Explodes] is an acknowledgment for all that my father has done for me my entire life, and most importantly, it is a thank you. I love you, Dad, and I owe you my life.”

Then the sun slowly rose on that lonely coast
And I’d only hope that you know I owe you my life
Well, do you know I owe you my life?
Until the sun blows up in the sky
I owe you my life

Sublime has been cast into turbulent waters since Bradley’s passing.

From the days immediately following when they finally blew up, their self-titled album hitting number one on the charts soon after, to the introduction of Rome Ramirez and the schism that caused among fans, to the final formation of Sublime 2.0, it has been a sight to see. Sublime may never achieve the recognition they once had. Too many have turned against the band, claiming it to be a cheap imitation of what Bradley built. It seems, though, that a renaissance may be in store for those of us that stuck with the group through it all. With Jakob at the helm, Sublime has returned to its roots. A new generation of Sublime is beginning right here with “Until the Sun Explodes.”

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Stream: “Until the Sun Explodes” – Sublime

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