The tracks surfaced one at a time, often prefaced with dialogue borrowed from John Hughes films. Now, months after “Ghost Train,” Summer Camp (now revealed as Jeremy Warmsley and Elizabeth Sankey) have finally released these mysterious songs on an official EP.
Summer Camp appear to live in a world cloaked in nostalgia, where every person is carefully poised for a cinematic coming-of-age moment. While their dialogue sampling might come across as superficial to some, it creatively provides context and anchoring.
Characters from Say Anything introduce the standout track “Ghost Train.” Amidst a building bass line and stuttered pronouns, we hear Corey Flood trying to dissuade Lloyd Dobler from going after Diane Court: “It’s just you’re a really nice guy and I don’t want to see you get hurt.” Undeterred, Lloyd Dobler’s replies: “But, I want to get hurt!” What follows is a song about wanting to stretch relationships further than their seemingly concrete summer boundaries will allow.
“Round the Moon” is heavy in synth and vocal reverb, but carefree in its lyrics. (“And we danced all night and we held each other tight, ‘til the morning light.”) With this song in particular, it feels as though Warmsley and Sankey have transported their listeners back to the 1980s.
The presence of the 1980s is not just auditory either. Two of the six tracks, “Veronica Sawyer” and “Jake Ryan” are named after characters from Heathers and Sixteen Candles. These explicit references further reinforce Summer Camp’s intention; their aesthetic isn’t accidental.
Elsewhere on Young, the duo’s vocals aren’t really given the opportunity to be complementary. With the exception of Warmsley on “Round the Moon,” Sankey’s voice propels almost the entire album. Even though at times her voice can seem monotonously hypnotic, at other times it feels like the perfect vehicle for carrying these young adult dilemmas.
Summer Camp work, almost obsessively, to pair familiar cinematic dialogue with their original compositions. At their best, these rearrangements create affecting moments. Jeremy Warmsley and Elizabeth Sankey appropriate their personal obsession with 1980’s pop culture into thoughtfully crafted youthful reflections. While this EP might not be perfect, their conviction shows unlimited promise.
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"Ghost Train" – Summer Camp
"Round The Moon" – Summer Camp
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