The Prince Charming emotional striptease that is emo-core or post-hardcore draws carefully measured amounts of testosterone from its underlying male frustration. The delicate Pop Unknown – with one famously added former member of the now-defunct Mineral – has enough of this juice o’ toughness to balance out and not float away like bee pollen on a summer wind – which is a Tom Cruise line from Legend.
But the whole notion of sincerity being peeled away layer by layer must be enticing for anyone caught in the chronic artifice of the dying ’90s. Like the boy who had the crush on you all year looks much better under the porch light after you’ve been dumped by that football player jerk, Summer Season Kills is the anthem of the kind of cute underdog. It is clever in concept, seductive by virtue of its struggle with vulnerability, and absolutely great pop music. This EP follows a debut single on a Deep Elm emo-core compilation and will lead interested listeners on to a full-length due out this year. Oh, yum.
