Spring King - The Summer

Spring King songs, at their best, offer a launchpad to lift off from. They force kids to get off their backsides and form a band. They persuade static crowds to lose their inhibitions, even for a few minutes. But for every rallying cry, there’s a bittersweet edge at play.

‘The Summer’, the lead single from their debut album, initially comes off as a one-dimensional party-starter. Attention-grabbing and designed to be embraced by thousands, it finds Tarek Musa and co. delivering their most direct cut to date. And if it had one sole purpose of sending Spring King skywards, it would work on those merits. But there’s even more at play. Underneath the seasons-changing glee is a sad edge, tales of growing up and losing touch with close friends bubbling up below the surface. Musa sings about “being a part of something bigger than ourselves,” placing a tender narrative in the confines of three outrageously simple minutes. Far from being a standard hellraiser, ‘The Summer’ is also a clever sod.