Not Many Experts

Two trends bucked by Summer Camp within 4 minutes:

1. A video that’s actually worth watching instead of the usual self aggrandising bullshit with fancy lights and self-conscious dance routines designed to sell the record. The footage is from “En kärlekshistoria” by Roy Andersson (apparently, as if I know anything about 1970s obscure cinema). Random, but at least they’re more interested in their aesthetic than marketing.
2. Said video is accompanied by a song that is just compounding how much we love Summer Camp, rather unlike the usual first-shag of an underwhelming let down that some of the most hyped artists wheel out before the public for their first-single-proper.
3. Oh, and they released it all on Vimeo. God they are cool.
4. I know I said there would be just two points, but now I’ve got into this trés organised numbered system I’m quite enjoying it. It’s worth mentioning that this is the first single from their debut EP, “Young”, out in September on Moshi Moshi, and if you decided to buy it, it would probably make them quite happy. If not then there’s a free mp3 for you below.
5. Summer Camp – Ghost Train

I get myself into this situation often. I’ll try to claim that I’m just making attempts at achieving some sort of perfect-seasonal alignment for the tone of the band name, but the truth probably lies nearer to my being quite busy most of the time. So I feel stuck between feeling like I should have posted about Summer Camp a few months back, and being “too late” and just bandwagon jumping. But the whole one-upmanship of trying to post about bands before everybody else is blatantly ridiculous. So it’s late. But it’s here.

The unpretentiously shining pop music that Summer Camp are making sounds like all of those teenage summer months condensed into three minute rays of burning nostalgia, fleshed out with a sense of purpose, not-giving-a-fuck and bursting raw drums that all pull them back from the wrong side of twee and excessively sentimental. That said, if you’re looking to exercise your macho-ears then you’re better off slobbering over the knuckle dragging legacy of Britpop; Summer Camp are unapologetically fey at times, but their bravery to attempt something completely different is far bolder than aping 1995, and as a result they are only something to be admired. And if they’re anything like as good live as we have been hearing, then it won’t be long before every crevice on the internet will be declaring their keyboard based love. Bleeding bandwagon jumpers.

Summer Camp – Montgomery Avenue 1984

Summer Camp – Was It Worth It

Summer Camp – Ghost Train