Sublime’s newest record — its first in three decades — surely marks “the beginning of a new epoch of Southern California sound,” as the album’s closing track so humbly put it.
Sublime, the legendary ska punk band from Long Beach, California, was founded in 1988 by Bradley Nowell, Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh. Known for its genre-bending irreverent anthems, Sublime’s fourth studio album released June 12 is characterized by the same punk mentality — but its true purpose is to serve as an earnest tribute.
Bradley, the founding frontman of Sublime, died of a heroin overdose at 28 in May 1996, just a month before the band released its self-titled album. His son Jakob was only 11 months old.
Jakob, who’s now 30 and bears a striking vocal resemblance to his father, took over as frontman in 2023, with Wilson and Gaugh at his side. But Jakob knew there was no replacing the original Sublime sound — only honoring his dad’s legacy.
Despite knowing Sublime can’t replace its classic ‘90s era, the album cover for “Until The Sun Explodes” boldly shatters the band’s signature sun logo from its debut album, “40 oz. To Freedom.” Out from it emerges a machinic version of the same sun. Perhaps an ironic jest at the band’s opposition to the metaphorical machine, the cover still feels counterintuitive to Jakob’s reluctance to take Sublime’s new lead.
But the album opens with confident and catchy “Ensenada,” the record’s racy first single released nearly a year ago that would go on to soundtrack many a beach day last summer. I caught the song live as Sublime performed it alongside hits from the band’s ‘90s discography at Welcome To Rockville in Daytona Beach.
Sublime released three more singles prior to the album’s drop: the title track and my favorites, “Can’t Miss You” and “Gangstalker,” tunes with loud, thrashy guitars that explore familiar Sublime themes like romance woes and running from the cops.
But it’s the song named for the record, “Until The Sun Explodes,” that conveys the true, heartfelt intent of the album: to be a love letter to Brad.
The lyric, “Do you know I owe you my life?” echoes more powerfully than all other words throughout the record's 22 tracks. The title song explores how Jakob still feels his dad’s presence 30 years after his tragic death.
“Until The Sun Explodes” isn’t the record’s only vulnerable track. Songs like “Wizard” nod to Jakob’s own struggle with addiction — which began when he was just 12 years old — and recovery, with lyrics like “Seven years of darkness/Before I fully light the way, oh I can feel the change, it's startin' to show.”
Among the most flavorful of the album’s tracks are its five collaborative songs, two of which are among my favorite songs on the record.
“Backwards,” featuring Zac Carper of surf punk band FIDLAR, is a rapid, near-metal hit that juxtaposes its thrash sound with islandy verses and a poppy guitar riff in the chorus. Carper’s particularly speedy verse is ripe with Sublime’s signature rhyming acronyms and talk of marijuana.
With a much chiller tempo, “Come Correct,” featuring hip-hop blues band G. Love & Special Sauce, has a slow groove reminiscent of the beat in “Cisco Kid,” a track off Sublime’s underappreciated 1994 sophomore album “Robbin’ The Hood.” The strong drums, rapping sections and horn parts make for a dynamic head-bopping track.
Though most of the collabs provided a nice variety of sound, I can’t imagine “Favorite Song,” featuring Australian garage rock band Skeggs, will be anyone’s favorite.
To stay true to its roots, the band built a comprehensive research document, replete with Venn diagrams and spreadsheets, cataloging every stylistic element in Sublime’s discography. Lyrically, Jakob’s bandmates said his songwriting style was a direct continuation of Brad’s.
Despite this geeky structure, “Until The Sun Explodes” can’t be described as orderly. While I like the more mainstream reggae rhythms best enjoyed on a yacht, what I love most about this record — and Sublime’s discography in general — is the unbridled thrash punk energy evident in tracks like “Personal Hell.”
Though the Sublime sound in the new record is largely consistent with its albums of the past, the band plays with fresh textures and guitar tones. For instance, the layered guitar in the album’s only fully acoustic love ballad, “Casino Toarmina,” is beautifully Fleetwood Mac-esque.
The three-part track, “Maybe Partying Will Help,” and “The Problem With That Is It Makes Me Stoked…” pay more homage to Sublime’s legacy through interview recordings, similar to the style of three-part “Raleigh Silioquoy” in the band’s second album.
“Until The Sun Explodes” concludes with “Thanx Again,” similar to “Thanx” off the debut album. It gives kudos to all Sublime supporters and offers a solemn moment of silence for Brad.
Jakob knows the band’s 1996 self-titled album was the last real Sublime record. It was renowned as one of the greatest ska punk albums in history, with iconic, timeless tracks like “Santeria” and “What I Got.”
“Until The Sun Explodes” is likely to be the last chapter of the band’s Long Beach legacy — that is, unless Jakob’s future kid wants to keep the Nowell noise rolling.
“You can’t compete with mythology,” Jakob told Rolling Stone. “This is the epilogue.”
While his imposter syndrome made it nearly impossible to feel capable of filling his dad’s shoes, Jakob’s worries melted in the studio. He dubs the new album his proudest creation.
After seeing the fearless new frontman in concert, I never doubted the new Sublime would be as electric and relentless as ever. The blend of raw emotion, energy and nostalgia make “Until The Sun Explodes” the setlist for my summer.
Like many fans thanked on “Thanx Again,” I’m happy to still be a part of one of my favorite bands’ “sunburnt stylee street parade.”
Contact Isabel Kraby at ikraby@alligator.org. Follow her on X @isabelgkraby.
Isabel Kraby is a journalism senior at UF and the Summer 2026 editor of The Avenue desk. She has served as both a general assignment reporter and the music and performance reporter for The Avenue. Izzy loves going to concerts, crocheting and practicing guitar in her spare time.
