Alright, let’s talk about Golden Bay, the sophomore album from Parisian indie-pop group LATER. – and let me tell you, this one’s got legs. Dropped on January 17th, this album isn’t just a collection of tracks; it’s more like a personal journey, a musical trip that takes you from dreamlike shores to the raw, gritty edges of self-discovery.
Written by
Nate Kline
in
Sonic Journeys
Music
Golden Bay: LATER.’s Dreamy Pop Journey Into Self-Discovery
LATER. first caught my ear back in 2019 with that infectious single “L.Y.E.,” and since then, they’ve been building momentum steadily, even finding their way onto Netflix soundtracks (Emily in Paris and Never Have I Ever). But with Golden Bay, the band’s clearly grown. This is a much more cohesive, polished affair compared to their debut Walking on the Line (2023), and it shows. The sound is lush—synths and guitars layered in a way that makes you feel like you’re floating in some parallel universe, bathed in golden light. I know, a little cheesy, but it’s true. The album’s title alone sets the scene for a place of escape, of something idyllic, and the music absolutely backs it up.
From the get-go, you can feel the difference in energy. The opener, “Open the Gates,” is this smooth blend of soaring synths and uplifting guitars. You know they’re onto something special when a riff like that leads into the rest of the record. It’s got that feeling of an indie anthem in the making, something you’d want to blast on a long drive or during the magic hours when everything feels like it’s falling into place. And it’s not just that track. As you go deeper into the album, the whole thing starts to feel like a pop masterpiece, with little nods to the past while staying firmly grounded in the now.
LATER. have done something interesting here with Golden Bay. They’ve embraced pop, yes, but there’s an organic rawness that keeps it from ever feeling too shiny or polished. There’s a live energy woven throughout, the kind you feel when the music is so fresh that it’s practically still warm from the studio. You get the sense that these guys—Charles, Paul, Noah, and Theo—are genuinely living this music, and that intimacy comes through in tracks like “Cold Touch,” where the lyrics are full of sensuality and raw honesty. It’s about connection, it’s about transformation, and honestly, it feels a bit spiritual in its energy.
One of the coolest parts about this album is how LATER. talk about the creative process. They’ve been making music together for years, and you can tell that their bond is stronger than ever. The way they talk about isolating themselves during the recording sessions—locking away distractions and just letting the music flow—is refreshing. You can almost hear that liberation in the music. It’s like they’ve just given themselves permission to go after something that feels deeply personal and truly theirs, without worrying about trends or what anyone else expects.
Now, I don’t want to get too much into a comparison game, but I’ll say this: Golden Bay is a beautiful blend of influences. You can hear the electro-pop undertones that remind you of Daft Punk and some of the more introspective French touch, but there’s something else—something more fluid and organic here. It’s a pop album, sure, but one that’s messy and real in all the right ways. Tracks like “Golden Bay” are anthems for anyone who’s ever chased a feeling, a sound, a moment.
LATER.’s Golden Bay is the kind of album that takes you back to when you first fell in love with music. You know that feeling? When a new sound feels like a revelation, when it makes you stop and listen, maybe even lose yourself for a second. That’s the power of Golden Bay. It’s a reminder of the freedom music gives us—of how it can inspire, uplift, and ultimately transport us.
If you haven’t yet, get on this bandwagon now before everyone else catches on. LATER. are going places, and Golden Bay is just the beginning.
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