Homeschool returns with a shimmering but melancholic summer anthem, "Drop-Dead Summer." A band led by Tom D'Agustino, "Drop-Dead Summer" is a sonic tug-of-war between nostalgia and inevitability, balancing bright synth-pop melodies with the gravity of introspective lyric writing.
Beginning with retro-tinged synths, ethereal harmonies, and airy, percussive snaps, "Drop-Dead Summer" establishes a lulling, sun-drenched soundscape before pulling the rug out. "Drop-Dead Summer" quickly pulls a 180, packing on drastic, foreboding drums, groaning basslines, and grisly guitar riffs, reflecting the turmoil of maturing while longing for the omnipresent glimmer of youth. D'Agustino's plaintive vocals hit an emotional wallop. "Go to bed. You won't survive a night like this, Not because it's crazy, Just because you're getting older."
"Drop-Dead Summer" bubbles up to a soaring climax, and D'Agustino lays open its heart, feeling between acceptance and resistance. The chorus emerges as an existential sigh, cloaked in shimmering synths and swelling production. "I gotta drift away and drown my sorrow. I'll still get brunch with you tomorrow , And I don't wanna be a bummer, But the news is saying it's a drop-dead summer." It's a poetic contradiction celebrating life's fleeting pleasures while wrestling with a deep sense of doom.
"Drop-Dead Summer" should be noted as a soundtrack for people who see themselves caught halfway between who they were and who they're slowly blossoming into. Homeschool nails that restless, aching quality of a summer running out of your hands, both gorgeous and unnerving, like growing up.