“Summer Queen” is the latest track by ANTHMZ, an outstanding Atlanta-based quartet. It’s their second piece of work in 2024, as a perfect follow-up of “Soft Core,” another exceptional single released earlier this year. This composition announces “Summer Softcore,” their first EP slated for release in early September. It’s a contemplative song about self-sabotage, self-doubt, and avoiding becoming too friendly with people. Soundwise, ANTHMZ embraces the fundamental element of garage rock sound, but you’ll also notice how some other sonic ingredients borrowed from rock ‘n’ roll, alternative, indie, and many other genres found their way into this fine piece of sonic artistry. These folks use all these additional elements as more than necessary enhancements, accentuations, decorations, and other details to illustrate such rich and luxurious sonic imagery while simultaneously remaining loyal to the primary sonic direction. Therefore, these experimentations with many different but complementary music styles resulted in a catchy, engaging, memorable composition that will unquestionably appeal to even the pickiest garage rock fans and beyond.
As soon as you press play, you’ll notice how ANTHMZ resonates with a nostalgic yet modern sound. They nurture this fresh, unique, innovative approach by incorporating some of the best vocal, sonic, and rhythmic maneuvers you’ll hear in a while. “Summer Queen” arrives with a perfect song structure, garnered with many intricate segments, brilliant ideas, and outstanding orchestrations, capable of convincing even the pickiest listeners to spin this track over and over again. The marvelous vocal performance serves as a centerpiece, emphasizing all the segments and instrumentations. The impressive vocal range seamlessly balances low, mid, and high notes while commanding attention and guiding the listening apparatus through every section of the song. You’ll also notice a subtle studio reverb, which gives retro, psych, and classic garage rock vibes. In the meantime, the interplay between rhythm and lead guitar shapes a perfect backdrop for all the vocals to shine upon. You’ll hear how memorable chord progressions resonate on one side, while the other shines with leads, melodies, and harmonies, spicing things to the max. There is also a layer of the keys, giving more depth and complexity while transporting listeners into the late sixties and early seventies era.
The band also thought about the rhythm section. There are equally complex, vividly hearable, warm-sounding basslines rumbling beneath all these guitar and keyboard layers, offering more than necessary heaviness, depth, and clarity while binding all the instrumentations with drums. The exceptional drumming performance keeps the remainder of the band in line while dictating the groove and pace with cleverly arranged, well-accentuated beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics. Everything sounds superb from scratch to finish, proving that ANTHMZ thought about even the tiniest details and nuances. “Summer Queen” is a masterpiece that embraces all the fundamental elements of garage rock music while experimenting with many complementary styles. These highly skilled musicians showcase all their ideas, creativity, and musicianship throughout the entire track, delivering one of the best rock tracks this year. It’s a must-listen for all true rock ‘n’ roll fans, so you should put this garage rock gem on your radar as soon as possible. The single is available on all streaming platforms.
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