Irish purveyors of hook-heavy bangers The Academic are excited to share the Community Spirit EP, featuring the new single ‘Not Your Summer’.
‘Not Your Summer’ opens Community Spirit’s tracklist, with Craig Fitzgerald’s vocals floating effortlessly over a bed of breezy guitar chords. Deceptively optimistic sunny-sounds cloak more melancholic lyrics, as the group sing of a summer not quite gone to plan; “Maybe it’s not your summer // Maybe it’s not your year,” resolves the song’s chorus hook.
The worldwide circumstances in which the track is being released only adds pertinence to this wistful ode to the sunny season. Although ‘Not Your Summer’ wasn’t written directly about lockdown, the anxiety induced by the pandemic has undeniably left its mark on the single. Craig explains: “Enjoying your own company can be a great thing, but it can also take its toll and that’s how I was feeling at the time, needing time away from myself.”
Community Spirit sees the Mullinger 4-piece honing their knack for epitomising the excitement and apprehension that one meets at the intersect between youth and adulthood, without a hint of cynicism or pretence. These are sky-scraping, heart-on-the sleeve anthems, accented with guitar hooks which immediately take up residency in the head of anyone who listens.
‘Kids (Don’t End Up Like Me)’ – the only cut from Community Spirit to have been shared thus far – marked an unflinching return from The Academic. Written by Craig as a teenager, the song documents his fears of never leaving his hometown or amounting to anything. “I started looking through all my old notebooks and found this song fully written,” he says, retrospectively. ‘I had a gut feeling that it might come to life now with a few more years of living behind me since it was originally written.’
The EP doesn’t catch a single faulty note, with each track only building towards the ultimate summer soundtrack. ‘Smart Mouth’ and ‘For The Camera’ are two of the newer tracks to fans’ ears, both flawlessly demonstrating how well the four-piece work, with easy lyrics and a cohesive yet constantly varied sound.
The EP looks set to stir up an agonizing anticipation for the group’s live dates, as the band return to the stage towards the end of summer.
Eva Liukineviciute
TWELVE INCH 