Run River North‘s history has ups and downs. 2016’s Drinking From a Salt Pond was a pitch-perfect moment. It showcased Asian American musicians who could manipulate sounds to create a unique voice inside alternative and indie rock. Internal conflicts changed the band into a three-piece, and 2021’s Creatures In Your Head was the next chapter highlight.
But it felt that Alex, Sally, and Daniel had outgrown Run River North, and the band went silent. My assumption is that the trio has different paths to take. And then in 2025, an Instagram post about a shelved soundtrack turned into a new album popped up.
Perfect is an album that’s a split between Run River North and outside influences. Like the album in 2021, Perfect is also another evolution. Even though the songs were composed a couple of years ago, they are a time capsule of sound. As opposed to their previous songs, songs are composed with a wider audience in mind.
“Worth the Wait” opens like a Run River North song with a building soundscape. The vocal rhythms are pure Run River North. And with that composition, you also get a full soundtrack-style track. You can imagine this song can be cut and chopped for different pivotal scenes.
And then it rolls right into “Don’t Let Go.” A similar opening like, “Worth the Wait,” this time the song sounds like a scene transition. It’s pulling in more emotions under the surface. “Slow & Steady” is an small outlier. The foundation is Run River North, but there are more layers building around what starts as a light garage rock song. The transition takes its time as the song moves forward.
“Perfect” sounds like old Run River North. It’s a finely tuned and polished single, ready for popular playlist streaming. It contains the hooks and dynamics that catch your attention. In a way, it feels like Run River North outgrew the loud and boisterous indie rock that they started with. Now it sounds like the band creates minimalist songs before building them out and stripping them back.
“Seeds” and “Death, Hello” sound more like demos than polished songs. But the simple and raw recordings show the foundations. It harnesses a pureness that’s not masked or muted. The final song of Perfect is “Miss You.” This song feels like a hello and goodbye. It has a lot of classic Run River North elements, but also has a new classic freshness.
This sudden release proves that Run River North is an important voice in music. Their signature is recognizable, but even more, they continue to make an impact with the music they create.
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Written by Chris P for Korean Indie.