Stream: Run River North, ‘Okay Cool’

Kevin Bronson on September 30th, 2019

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Run River North (Photo by Natasha Wilson)

Early this year, Run River North released the alt-pop nugget “Hands Up,” a single that completed the band’s evolution from folk to rock to pop.

“Hands Up” was the anchor of the EP that Run River North — formed in 2012 as a sextet and now operating as the trio of Alex Hwang (guitar/vocals), Daniel Chae (guitars/vocals) and Sally Kang (keys/vocals) — released in May. It was titled “Monsters Calling Home, Vol. 1” and was the follow-up to their 2016 full-length “Drinking From a Salt Pond.” Its title was derived from RRN’s original band name.

The second installment of the EP, “Monsters Calling Home, Vol. 2,” arrives Nov. 1 via Nettwerk. “To us, the record feels new and youthful and at the same time very pure and happy,” Hwang says. “That contagious, genuine sense of joy is something we’ve been wanting to get to, and it’s been really fun to discover while working with other musicians we respect and looking inside ourselves, as well.”

Mission accomplished, judging by the new single “Okay Cool.” The new single, built on a Michael Jackson-inspired beat created by Chae, is a snappy, funky dance tune in which straddles the line between retro and modern. If they’re inviting you to join the party, this makes it hard to say no.

||| Stream: “Okay Cool”