When
the Summertime Dropouts started following me on Twitter, and I followed back,
most of their tweets were about various places accepting their “Full Time
Cutie” video. Most of them were shows and channels I had never heard of, but
when you are trying to get exposure, every new acceptance is a small victory.
Behind
schedule as always, I finally got around to listening to the song and watching
the video this week, as I started reviewing their music in general. Similar to
the Breakdown, there were context dependent reasons why that one did not work
for me. Differently, I still really enjoy the band overall.
For
me the issue with “Full Time Cutie” is that it doesn’t sound real. I’m spending
a lot of time worrying about teenagers now, especially “alternative” ones, and
that song just doesn’t ring true. I could blame it on a label, but from an
interview it looks like Josh Stoll wrote many of these songs several years
before the album, Rewind, was even made. It’s not that they didn’t
change anything, but that was their starting point, and maybe things looked
different then.
Regardless,
that is just one song, which, for all my cognitive dissonance, is still pretty
catchy, and I like everything else on the album more. It has heart, while still
being really fun, and after listening to it I think I get what “pop punk”
means. I needed that.
I
think part of my more positive response is those years in between. All of the
band members have been in other bands with other people, and that dues paying
is ultimately necessary. From my other reading, everyone seems to need to go
through at least a few bands before they find the right combination. You learn
a lot from that, and from the continued presence on the scene.
Also,
they really do seem funny and good-natured. On their Youtube page, check out
their craft corner video where they teach you how to make jean shorts. They’re
goofy, but they’re also pretty clever with it. I like that. And I think they
would be good in concert, which I value.
So,
for songs I like better, I think “Amie” might be my favorite. One thing that
works well on Rewind is that there are two different versions if “1999”,
and I think comparing the two gives you a good idea of their range.
Incidentally, with “1999” and “Get Lost” they remind me a little of Boys Like
Girls, though more punk (while still being pop).
I
also like “Getaway” quite a bit, and for that I need to call out one more thing
I admire about them, which is their fun and creative merchandising. “Getaway”,
about taking off for the beach, has a line “Work on my tan with cheap crappy
lotion”, and they actually sell Cheap Crappy Lotion. I’m not tempted to buy it,
but it’s a cute idea, and some of the other products just give you a feel for
the personality of the band, and it’s a positive feeling.
You
can get Rewind on their site or through Amazon now. The second album, Be
Kind, Rewind, will be out digitally next week. Check them out!
https://twitter.com/Summertime_DropEdited to add:
After posting I had a nice Twitter exchange with the Summertime Dropouts. One thing they clarified is that
Be Kind, Rewind is a commentary track for Rewind that they had made earlier, and some fans requested it for release. Also, while some of the songs on Rewind were written earlier, all lyrics were re-written. Mainly we talked about "Full Time Cutie". A lot of their fans listen to the song, and feel like that's them. It does make me look at the song differently, and their songs have, in general, been with me all weekend.
It was cool to have the additional information, but also to see their responsiveness. Again, I like them better now, and I hope they do well.
It does make me wonder about the possibility of incorporating interviews into the reviews, or at least submitting questions before I post. I suspect that would require not always running behind schedule, but it's something to think about.
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