Eternal Summers Sound Deceptively Cheerful In "Every Day It Feels Like I'm Dying..."

Sometimes the best way to channel sadness is through a fake smile. Eternal Summers sound deceptively cheerful in Every Day It Feels Like I'm Dying..., shrouding hurt with optimistic tones.

On the surface, it really seems like Eternal Summers is joyful, right from their name down to their sound. It's hard to really hear anything but peace and joy in the sound of the calming atmosphere of 'Reprieval' or the dreamy wonder of 'Possibilities.' The real meaning hides under the surface. The warm introduction 'Motionless' really says it all. It's punchy chords seem to ring with confidence and the drive carries it actively, but the lyrics tell a different story. In fact, the lyrics are almost the antithesis of the sound. Eternal Summers sings about hopelessness in 'Motionless,' singing "measuring the past, nothing's meant to last" to say that it's hard looking forward when knowing all too well what the past has done.

There are moments throughout the album where the sadness does sort of peak through. 'Famous Last Words' is one such moment, the light drive and cautious chords provide an intimate and chill atmosphere, as if to allow for the atmosphere of telling someone something important but wanting them not to worry. The tracks with a bigger, rockier composition more directly channel an anger and have a sense of wrong in them, namely 'Contenders' which sings about facing a world where being at the top is all anyone can focus on and 'Oblivious' with its attempt to ignore the problems around them.

Eternal Summers sound deceptively cheerful in Every Day It Feels Like I'm Dying..., exemplifying their internal struggles by showing an outward optimism. It's like a version of Paramore's After Laughter, where instead of being fully depressed, they're just lost and don't know what direction to take. While simple, that's something we all know too well and never speak enough about.

Favorite Track: Famous Last Words

Least Favorite Track: Oblivious

Rating: 70 / 100

Stream or buy Every Day It Feels Like I'm Dying... on Apple Music, and follow our 2018 Playlist: