Regular readers may be familiar with the sounds of Paul Stewart, the Canadian who makes introspective and atmospheric modern folk music (not unlike the Field Medic release we featured recently). Summering is a band from Vancouver of which Stewart is now a member, along with four other musicians with a variety of backgrounds, mostly from the more abrasive end of the musical spectrum such as metal, punk, techno and hardcore. These three tracks are intended as a preview of the bands forthcoming album, due some time this summer.
The album takes the formula of Stewart’s previous releases and stretches it panoramic, bedroom pop on a mountainous scale, a departure from his norms in all the right ways. The band build dense layers of guitar which, paired with rumbling bass and crashing drums, create something imposing, a monolith rising through the fog. I found myself thinking of earlier Wintersleep albums in the way they fuse melancholic indie with the noisy dramatism of post-rock. The tracks were recorded live at Monarch Studios in Vancouver, a decision that sounds to have paid off as the band’s thunderous energy is tangible.
If you want my advice, head over to the Summering Bandcamp page, download the preview on a name your price basis, and then sit patiently for the full album.