Summer People

Teamwork (2011)

Mitch

This past Spring, Summer People put out an album called Teamwork. It's good and rather interesting. Filled with dark, quirky tales that resemble urban legends or campfire stories. All brooding with a sense of camaraderie and whatnot. "Nothin' But Dead" is about an apathetic pimp, horses, swords, and dead women and children. The music fits all that perfectly. It's anguished and rowdy folk rock with rambunctious percussion that can't easily be compared to anything else. Maybe 31Knots or parts of Searching for a Former Clarity or something. Except the lead male vocalist is less Gabel, more Bo Diddley. Seriously, he sings with a wicked southern howl that suits this music wonderfully. If these are campfire songs, he's the eccentric tag-along uncle with the fire in his eyes (probably a reflection, but you were just a kid) and all the best stories. I should mention that he's taken over for the guy who sang most of the last album. There; mentioned. Another vocalist, Jade, gets a lot more attention here too. Now they can all share the mic equally on stage. How fun. Jade's voice is affecting and often chilling, especially when she sings lines like "I saw the joy in your eyes / It kept me up through the night." That one can take your mind to some pretty dark places.

Standout tracks? Hard to pick. They're all good in different ways. If you want one to start with, try "Elsewhere". It's more…immediate. But they all reward multiple listens and could take a while to sink in.

So Teamwork is a great listen. Flows well, with a nice balance of slow-burners and boisterous jams. Vocal duties are well split. No duds, good runtime, memorable tunes. Quite different from their debut, but definitely not a misstep. No complaints here. Check it out. Don't forget the spider dogs, bug spray and cheesy camper things to say.