There is a huge controversy that has been going around for a while about pop-punk. 
People like to say that it’s dead. In a way, I can see the argument. Pop-punk used to rule the world, it was everywhere, and it was awesome. Not so much these days. That being said, I firmly believe that it is not dead. It’s very much alive, it’s just in hiding. KInd of. The Summer Set is perfect proof that pop-punk is not dead.
I read about this band in an article of Alternative Press years and years ago, and I was interested enough to go and check them out. I found “Love Like This” which was their debut full length, and it was love at first listen.
Some History
The Summer Set formed in Scottsdale, Arizona in 2007. Between 2007 and 2008, they released three EP’s, their first being self-released. In 2009, after signing with The Militia Group, they released their debut full length album, “Love Like This.”
Photo by Kayla Underwood Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic
They did a pop-punk cover of Usher’s “Love in This Club and they also appeared on “Punk Goes Classic Rock” covering KISS’s “I Wanna Rock and Roll All Nite.”
In 2010 they played the entire Van’s Warped Tour, before appearing on The Dirty Work tour with All Time Low.
Current members include:
- Brian Logan Dales – lead vocals (2007–present)
- Jess Bowen – drums (2007–present)
- John Gomez – guitar, piano, backing vocals (2007–present)
- Josh Montgomery – guitar (2008–present)
- Stephen James Gomez – bass guitar (2007–present)
Staying True to Pop Punk
This band is definitely on the more poppy side of pop-punk, but that’s not to say the punk elements aren’t there. Their songs are very much classic pop-punk. They are fun, bouncy, and light hearted. Emphasis on the bouncy! There are some lines that are so full of energy, you can almost feel it going up and down.
One of the catchiest songs, is by far, this one. Off their debut full length, I honestly can’t get enough of it. It’s one I go back to often, when I’m in need of a little dose of happy.
Their sound does vary a good bit from album to album, and yet they still manage to be quite distinctive. I think this is because of two things. Something I notice, is that they like to weave some acoustic elements into their songs. While far from an uncommon practice, I don’t think I’ve ever really seen a band work it so much into who they are. Singer Brian Logan Dales also has a very distinct voice. A little bit higher pitched, and kind of… uplifting, if you will. Kind of bouncy. It’s honestly a bit of a difficult thing to put into words, but if you listen to them, I promise you’ll see what I’m talking about.
Conclusion
It’s true that I’m a metal head at heart, and it’s also true that The Summer Set is possibly the farthest you can get from heavy metal, without resorting to a computer to create your “music” for you. And yet, I love them. I love metal, but I love pop-punk too, and there’s nothing wrong with that. This band honestly just makes me think of summer. Of car rides. Of late nights on the beach. Of love. And it’s wonderful <3
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