Eternal Summers have mastered the art of the musical bait-and-switch. First, the Roanoke, Virginia-based trio draws listeners into their third album, March’s The Drop Beneath, with sun-soaked, distortion-friendly indie rock. Then lead vocalist/guitarist Nicole Yun’s dreamy voice breaks in with the lyric “Prove yourself if you want to die just 100 times a day” on album opener “100.” The rest of the album features the same unexpected blend of dark lyrics — especially the opening lines of lead single “Gouge” — with summery guitar riffs and a satisfying amount of fuzz. By the time the final notes of the alt-rock-tinged, album-closing title track come around, it’s clear that the surprising combination of light and dark is what makes The Drop Beneath so captivating.
— Azaria Podplesky