This past Friday, Minneapolis-based group NATL PARK SRVC released their latest single “Smiling,” the follow-up to last summer’s EP4. The band’s lineup includes violin, sax, and trombone in addition to the standard makeup of an indie rock group. Their ambitious take on the genre recalls the heyday of earnest, boisterous, and expansive mid-2000s indie rock. They find themselves in good company in this realm, as one of the most buzzy and acclaimed rock acts of the 2020s is the ever-evolving English band Black Country, New Road. NATL PARK SRVC are among a class of underground bands who are reviving this sound, including Pittsburgh’s more twangy collective String Machine.
According to a recent post from the band, the release of this track will “MARK A NEW PHASE” for them. NATL PARK SRVC just played the first of 4 headlining shows in a series that they’ve dubbed “OCCULT MEETINGS,” with the next one being scheduled for August 25th. Check out “Smiling” below.
