“Straight to my head like I’m floating above the clouds. All I see is stars, far from the panic don’t know how I live without”
The initial thought after hearing THE DRIVER ERA album Summer Mixtape: It’s addicting. Summer may be over according to the calendar but Ross and Rocky Lynch have completely captured the essence of sunny days and turned it into an album.
They kick off the 11-track album with “Malibu” and it immediately has you bobbing your head. (This is not an exaggeration. I automatically danced in my seat.) Their music releases an insane amount of serotonin. It’s like what Mariah Carey does for you in December or eating your favorite food while watching Netflix. On top of the fun, there is a certain level of tension in the lyrics. It’s the good kind of tension, of course, but we were not fully prepared.
“Malibu” comes in hot with an upbeat vibe and chill lyrics that feel like the right amount of sunshine. The vocals are silky and the guitar creates a strong rhythm that will stay in your head for the rest of the day, but when I say there’s tension, can I please just give you the perfect example?
“Say we’re not coming back down, tell me right now, run it back now baby, Summer nights got me fucked up, in the backseat makin’ love”
Who gave these two the right to infiltrate our brains like that?
Now we have to take a moment to say: If “The Money” isn’t played at every event you go to for the next year, mistakes are being made. Turn this song on, close your eyes, and picture yourself dancing with your favorite people. “The Money” deserves to be played with the bass turned up and people on their feet. Nothing less. I suggest homebodies blast it in their rooms and have a dance party too. It would be impossible to have a bad time with this fast-paced beat and the thud it causes in your chest.
This album has a great balance of high-energy, like “The Money”, mixed with songs like “Bronco”. Those tracks still have an incredible ability to get you on your feet and make you feel light. However, they’re the kind of fun you’ll want for driving down the freeway with the windows down. “Back to You” takes it even slower and throws in some emotional lyrics. “‘Cause I look for love in all the wrong places, wrong places. Get high to pass time it’s not right. I should get back to you” pulls at your throat to get you where it hurts.
Have some fun, let loose, and let the music take over. This album has the ability to make you forget your bad day at work or that subtweet that you think is about you. It has absolutely bottled up every fun bit of summer and now it can live on all year long.
Stream it, Buy it, Skip it?: Go out and buy it! Throw your responsibilities out the window and have a dance party all weekend long.
