You know you're about to listen to a pop song when you see an artist shortening ing to in'. The Summer Set's second single off their upcoming 4th album was released on February 18th. How does it shape up compared to "Figure Me Out"? It's light years ahead. Click this (link) to pre-order the album on iTunes.
The band has never been know for their great music. In face, since their inception, TSS have gone from "cute", to "better", to "getting there", to their current "what happened?" status. Their music is built on the typical "Pop 101" blueprint. Lots of refrains, lyrics about teenage angst and romance, and power chords. And while that has (to varying degrees) worked for the band in the past, it's just not cutting it anymore. The Summer Set is pushing 30. Time to grow up and stop singing about the same old same old.
The song does deliver a nice groove, and a bit of a "The 1975" vibe. But without all the electronics, and a stronger instrumental presence. The chorus has some great gang vocal moments, and is the strong point in the song. Brian Dales delivers a great performance, full of emotion and passion. It's clear he's channeling a little Bieber and a little Matt Healy for this track. And we're really into it.
Summary -
The song is no "Boomerang", nor if is it another "Chelsea". But it's a huge step up from their first single (which felt way too "been there done that"). We're not asking TSS to reinvent the wheel, just stop giving us the same white wall tires. Sure their fanbase is mostly built around tweens and fangirls, but that doesn't mean they can't try to do something a bit more interesting for those few fans who don't just want some mind numbing pop track. All the same, this track will definitely be in our "guilty pleasure" sections this year though. Recommended for fans of The Downtown Fiction, echosmith, and All Time Low.
Rating - 7.5 to 8/10