Summer Bones The fourth studio album from pop-punk band, Hit The Lights, called Summer Bones is a solid collection of songs that bookmarked where the band felt most comfortable in. The record has since turned ten years old today, and Hit The Lights have not released a full-length record since then. The closest we got to new music was the 2016 EP, Just To Get Through To You, that also featured acoustic versions of several tracks from Summer Bones. Summer Bones was produced by Kyle Black (New Found Glory/All Time Low/State Champs) and highlights a familiar sound from the band’s most successful record, 2008’s Skip School, Start Fights. After the experimental Invicta, Summer Bones has the vibe of a more matured version of the band, and still plays out well to this day. The set would spawn three singles in “Fucked Up Kids,” “Life on the Bottom” and “No Filter.”
The record starts out on the right foot with the speedy punk rock of “Fucked Up Kids” that has everything we’ve come to expect from the Ohio pop-punk band. The track features a great opening riff from Omar Zehary and Kevin Mahoney, before lead vocalist Nick Thomoson shares on the chorus a rallying cry of, “Hey! I can say / We’re all just fucked up kids and that’s okay / If we don’t belong / To anyone or anything / We’re all just fucked up kids / Walking on promises / We’re breaking all of them / But we could be.” The song features a nice theme of inclusion and the message that “it’s okay to not be okay.” The song delivers the goods and bleeds away just after two and a half minutes before the guitar crunch of “The Real” kicks in. The chorus of, “I wanna stand for something real / Say something of substance, be honest and shed old ideals” is good advice from Thompson, while still addressing the band’s legacy.
”Life on the Bottom” follows in the sequencing with some more speedy pop-punk that highlights drummer Nate Van Damme’s key contributions to Hit The Lights. Thompson confidently keeps up with the up-tempo song, and it even features some gang vocals in the pre-chorus to keep things interesting. “Revolutions and Executions” is one of the heavier songs in Hit The Lights’ repertoire and discography, and features a cool chorus of, “Step back, relax, just breathe, don’t react / The worst thing you could ever do is let them get the best of you / Step back, relax, just breathe and don’t hold back / Find what matters most to you, stay the course and fight / I think I figured it out,” that is reminiscent of heavier pop-punk bands like Four Year Strong.
”No Filter” is more a mid-tempo rocker that takes its time building up to its messaging in the bridge of, “You crave acceptance from strangers through pictures and filters / Attention from people who don’t know you / And now that it’s over, how many will be there to pick you back up / Cause I see right through, I see right through / I know the real you, I see right through.” The song is largely about the “fake love” of finding acceptance through social media likes and shares, while wanting more from the people who crave this trivial attention. “Blasphemy, Myself and I” continues down the path of self-discovery and showcases another great vocal performance from Thompson, while bassist David Bermosk provides a steady groove in the bass line.
The title track comes at the right time in the sequencing, with a song built for an acoustic campfire sing-a-long as Thompson tells a vivid story about home, summers with friends, and the best days of his life. The anthemic chorus of, “Where do I go? I’m so tired of the same roads / I know that it’s home but I can’t take the snow anymore / We had the fall and now it’s lost like everything / Just fell apart right in my arms, I got nothing to lose,” provides a bit of balance to the “slow-jam” and prevents the track from just feeling like a necessary break from the speedy punk rock that dominates the record.
”Keep Your Head” rocks along with up-tempo hardcore energy, while “Sitter” relies on near-shouted vocals in the opening bars to keep things interesting in the delivery of the lyrics. Album closer of “Old Friend” leaves the listener with the closing lyrics of “Old friend, so happy to see you again / No matter when days turn to years / I know that you’ll always be there / Always be there,” that reminds us of the importance of never taking anything for granted and making an effort to connect with those worth our time, even if its been years since we last saw them. It’s a bit surprising that Hit The Lights haven’t put out another full-length record since Summer Bones was released, but maybe the 10-year anniversary will spark the right feelings in the band to get back to making music together once again.