The Rebel Light - "A Hundred Summer Days" EP Walks A Shiny Pop Tightrope That Leaves You Smiling

The Rebel Light from LA unabashedly celebrate the endless summer days of California. Their EP, A Hundred Summer Days is dropping via Dualtone Music August 5th.

The track Where Did All The Love Go tightropes spectacularly close to the pop / disco of classic 70's Euro-Pop like ABBA and today's indie dance pop like Tame Impala. Other songs on the EP, like Afterlife hits a beautiful chord with sweet melodies drenched with a thick vocal sound. Before you cast it off as too middle of the road you get lost in the vast embracing sound. I don't mind when artists cast a wide inclusive net when it is this warm. Hard To Believe with it's luscious bass line puts a big wide smile on my face. The sound is full tilt indie pop and it works because it is crafted so earnestly. The track Summer Haze is so poppy and bright that it could be the theme to a soda pop commercial full of brightly dressed dancers. It has the spirit, the guts of a Beach Boys tune. This song will pierce any jaded heart and fill it with California sunshine. The horns at the end are so beautiful.

Strangers which feels like the quintessential Rebel Light track too has a retro 60's shiny sheen. When I first posted about this track early this year I likened it to the Shins with a heavy dose of The Lovin Spoonful or The Mamas and the Pappas. The dreamy pop here with a lot of "ba ba baaa baaa baaa baa ba's" (like all their songs) is not approached in any kind of tongue and cheek or self aware retro sort of way but done up with a down to earth footprint and that gives it it's emotional pull. True, maybe The Rebel Light focus on the bright light instead of the dark but at times like these it might be the kind of thing we need to immerse ourselves in on a regular basis.

Full EP pre-order available here.