The Summer Obsession: Message makes this debut worthy

By Emily Barksdale
St. Marys High School

The Summer Obsession’s debut album, “This is Where You Belong,” deserves a listen from everyone - if not for its passé guitar riffs and repetitive drum beats, then for its lyrics.

Singer Lucien Walker and guitarist Allen “Fin” Leavell were in the band Start Trouble together in 2003. They split and recruited bassist Christ Miller to form The Summer Obsession. Then, after being signed to Virgin Records and recording its debut album, TSO added drummer Chris Wilson (formerly of Good Charlotte) so it could begin touring.

In August, “This is Where You Belong” was released. According to the band’s biography on thesummerobsession.com, the guys wanted to create a happier alternative sound to the gloomy stuff that’s typically heard on the radio.

The album opens with the piano-infused “8 AM,” a story about a girl who makes someone’s boring life better. Next comes “Disappear,” another excellent track that’s a guitar-filled plea for a deeper meaning of life.

The third track, “Never Coming Back,” is a rap tune with a chorus that’s sung. In it, the band escapes from the “illusion” of reality. “Death Said” is a fast-paced song that stresses living life to the fullest.

“Melt the Sugar” is a passionate, if not eloquent, love song that’s followed by the great “Burning Bridges,” which questions why someone would want to leave his or her friends behind.

Track seven, “Bored,” is pretty self-explanatory, but not as shallow as you may think. It’s one of the standout songs on the record.

The eighth track, “Do You Remember,” is the band’s first single. It’s about the tragic rescue of a girl from her abusive father.

“Over My Head” is an oceanic metaphor of biting off more than you can chew - “diving in too deep” - with a driving beat. “Down for Whatever” is about doing anything you want because you’ve got nothing to lose.

Rounding out the album are “I Miss You,” lamenting the person a friend used to be, and, finally, the slow title track, “This Is Where You Belong.”

Though some of the tracks may get a bit whiny and/or repetitive, they still show the talent that the boys of The Summer Obsession have. The message of the album alone makes it worth purchasing, and there’s no language on it, so feel free to blast it for the family.