How to categorize The Summer Set? Well, the lead single “Figure My Out,” off the band’s fourth studio release Stories for Monday, puts it this way: “a bit too pop for the punk kids and a bit too punk for the pop kids.” The band harnesses that ‘tweener formula to create an album that sounds like someone picking himself up off the ground after being laid low by life. Stories for Monday isn’t a perfect release, by any means, but that doesn’t stop the album from attaining its ultimate goal—to inspire. Every song here sounds big, with blatant ‘70s and ‘80s pop emotion, but there is never really a slow moment to allow listeners to catch their breath.
Score: 8 out of 10
The Summer Set
Stories for Monday
Fearless Records
Producer: John and Stephen Gomez
