Two fast-rising musicians, Dead Hendrix and Levi Zadoff join forces in releasing their most significant project to date, ‘Dead Summer’. It’s a mix of punky alternative rock and emo rap and has sad and depressing tracks and “feel-good” songs.
The opening track of the EP, ‘Don’t Think It Could Get Much Better’, begins with lackadaisical vocals that sound like something from Lil Peep’s discography. That is broken up with some alternative, punk-sounding drums.
‘Alone’ features the same style of vocals for the chorus and intro. However, the beat is more electronic and stylistically hip-hop. The introduction opens into some bars with a somewhat carefree delivery, leading back into the chorus with an electronic bass bumping. It’s a sad and melancholy song that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
The third song, ‘Can’t Be God’, is a piece of more upbeat music reminiscent of something from Machine Gun Kelly’s Lace Up. It features a faster and higher-pitched beat stylistically similar to the one in ‘Alone’. Like ‘Alone’, it features a mix of singing and rapping but somehow manages to be a ‘feel-good’ song even with mixed messaging.
‘Love Game’ is a high-speed track with an alternative rock-style guitar. It’s somewhat like Spose’s song, ‘Alternative Radio’. However, it features even darker lyrics and messaging, mentioning Kurt Cobain and Edward Snowden and heartbreak. Towards the end of the track, a punk-metal type bass riff slaps the listener, followed by a dissonant mic feedback loop, rounding out the way.
The final song, a bonus, ‘Teenage Dirtbag’, is unapologetically 2022. It seems to reference the social media trend about the ‘teenage dirtbag phase.’ The echoey chant “I remember being a teenage dirtbag, ain’t afraid of getting my heart smashed” is catchy. It also combines well with the punk rock guitar strumming.
‘Dead Summer’ sounds like a passion project between two bros, and it’s an enjoyable EP to hear.
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