Summer People – Good Problems

There’s no denying that Summer People are shooting for the moon here. While so much of the band seems to be shrouded in mystery (there’s hardly any information at all in the album itself, and internet searches reveal little more than band names like Vulnavia and Dr. Longstreet), it’s obvious that they seem to be pretty goddamned serious when it comes to their music. The band’s ambition is apparent, and they almost always hit the mark on Good Problems.

The band, like many others these days, seem to be working from a framework sitting pretty firmly between Americana and indie rock. It’s become a reasonably common launching point for many bands these days, but Summer People are more than keeping their heads above water here. Their confidence shines. A song like “Broken” brings to mind post-Pixies material by Frank Black, while “For Giving In”sounds like the quieter moments in Envy’s catalog, and immediately after is the minute-long romp of a title track with nothing but howling vocals and rolling drums behind them. This apparent lack of cohesion never works to their detriment, and, with one exception, never comes across as poorly executed or envisioned. There’s this weird bravado to Good Problems that’s coupled with a sense of wistfulness and it totally works in their favor; this is a good band.

The only real clunker here – and I’m sure this has come up more than once in reviews – is the song “See Ya Later, Wouldn’t Wanna Be Ya.” It’s virtually void of instrumentation besides misfiring drums buried way in the back and layers upon layers of feedback. It goes on for some time and, to this listener at least, absolutely destroys any momentum built up by the first half of the record. The intent may have been for a sense of atmosphere, I don’t know, but frankly, it goes on for about five minutes too long. It’s not a deal-breaker, but one does have to wonder what the hell the band was thinking. Still, you’re flung right back into the glorious mess with the next track.

The closest I can come up with is trying to imagine an odd mishmash of the fury and melody that a band like Titus Andronicus carries around in their pockets and couple it with the instrumentation and lyrical thoughtfulness of American War – that sense that there’s even more going on that what’s being talked about – and you’re getting there. The hooks weren’t immediately apparent, but I’m glad I stuck around for a few more listens; Good Problems, apart from a misstep or two, is a fine album.