Dark Tropics have littered their sophomore single ‘Moroccan Sun’ with hooks over a feelgood heartache song – if such a thing is possible.
Belfast duo Rio and Gerard have a self-defined ‘pop-noir’ sound, and this is their follow-up to February’s ‘Badlands’, a melancholic debut which has racked up 150,000 streams since its release.
Dark Tropics were born from a shared love of various music and literary influences. The latter are key in taking a unique inspiration – Rio’s travel diary from a lone venture to Morocco – and making it universal. In the lyrics, Rio ruminates on love’s failures, singing “I’ll love you until summer’s end”.
The narrative feels lighter as the nostalgic vocals are delivered over bright grooves from Newry’s Gerard, previously operating as Kid Trench. It makes a vibrant pop piece true to any location, stacked with soul and heart.
With a message of “No more tears, turn up the lights,” it’s an opportunity to dance away the heartache and let go. It’s a breath of late summer from Belfast’s exciting music scene. Future opportunities for the duo begin with an online Ireland Music Week performance in early October.
Visuals feel equally vital to what Dark Tropics do, so it is no surprise the accompanying music video, directed by Kevin KB, adds to the vintage feel. It centres around the photogenic Rio as she delivers those vocals surrounded by plants, or on the beach.
When she sings “the city still wants me, but you don’t”, I feel myself agreeing with the city – more Dark Tropics please.
