Pacifico Evokes a Deep Sense of Melancholic Acceptance on Indiepop Single “Afterglow”

Matthew Schwartz of Pacifico, photo by Mike Dunn for Rust + Rebel

There’s something comforting about the mix of stop motion, paper collage and animation of Pacifico’s video for “Afterglow.” The tendely psychedelic chamber pop song is about someone who is losing their sight but who seems to accept the limitations and memories of how things looked prior. It’s in a way a metaphor for someone who has come to terms with not really being up to date with how the world is and not quite apprehending the changes and puts some trust in the perceptions of those who are more with the times and not falling back on ego and insisting things are the way they once saw and understood them to be. This acceptance of the limitations of one’s life and not ego-pushing is paired well with the beautiful acoustic guitar work and quietly luminous vocals and string arrangements that sound both melancholic and at peace, which can be contradictory emotional states but Pacifico makes it work. Watch the video for “Afterglow” on YouTube and follow Pacifico on Instagram. Look out for the new Pacifico album Self Care out 02/10/2023 on Pacifirecords.