Beach Bunny has released their latest single, “Fire Escape,” leading to the highly anticipated release of their new album, “Emotional Creature,” set to drop July 22. When I tell you that this single is a heater, believe me. You may need a literal fire escape to evacuate the building when this absolutely blazing smoke-show of a single pumps gooey tunes from your speaker system.

Based out of Chicago, Beach Bunny is the brainchild of singer/songwriter Lili Trifilio, who began the project in 2015. After a handful of delightful singles and three years of producing her own music, Trifilio expanded the band to a four-piece group and released what some would say was their best single, “Prom Queen.”

Trifilio is, for my money, the best independent singer/songwriter in the country today. Beach Bunny is prolific, releasing new singles frequently. Now under the “Mom + Pop” label, they are gearing up for their second album’s release in July. The first album released under the new label is titled “Honeymoon” and it was appropriately released on Valentine’s Day 2020. One can’t help but wonder if the pandemic is to blame for the delay between Honeymoon and Emotional Creature.

Trifilio’s lyrics often tackle the classic subjects of love, life, and the bullshit that comes with being a young woman in America. Her lyrics distinguish her as a bonified poet, and her sunny yet tough melodies propel Beach Bunny into a league of its own.

Trifilio, an accomplished guitarist, not only writes and sings, but lays heavy licks and tasty solo’s throughout the band’s library. Songs like “Sports,” “Painkiller,” and “Cloud 9” are just a small set of examples of Beach Bunny’s natural penchant for bringing the noise. Trifilio, a complete pop/rock songwriter, has also blessed listeners with slower jams such as “February.” There is truly nothing to dislike in Beach Bunny’s library for fans of the genre.

“Fire Escape” is the second teaser single to be released in the buildup to “Emotional Creature.” The first is titled “Oxygen” and it brings a heat all its own. If these two tracks are an indication of what is to come, we may just be in for a once-in-a-decade album on par with “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea” and “Illinois.”

Perhaps more exciting than the news of a late July album is the news that Beach Bunny will be playing Higher Ground in South Burlington, Vermont on May 10th. I’ve had my tickets since November, and I check my phone every single day to make sure that they are still there.

The band’s rapid rise in popularity is no fluke. I have yet to hear a song that is not absolutely wonderful. Each new release delights current fans and no doubt attracts new ones. Trifilio appears to be an endless wealth of top-notch songs who is growing in strength with each passing year.

It is with confidence that I say this new single is Beach Bunny at the top of their game. The song is just over two minutes in runtime and it has everything you would want from an indie rock/pop band: a hauntingly catchy guitar riff, elegant vocals, and drum fills that’ll bust your guts and leave you begging for more. Trifilio hits hard with lyrics that ambiguously describe the complicated feelings of love with little to no stability. While the idea of lost love runs through the veins of Beach Bunny, never before have they released a single whose message is so deeply shrouded in mystery. The grey areas between the lines of this song are what make it one of the greatest singles of all time.

Do yourself a favor and check out “Fire Escape.” If you love it, I highly recommend you browse the entire Beach Bunny library and meet me at the Higher Ground bar to raise a drink to this soon-to-be-legendary band.