Sometimes I wish I were in a movie montage. You know those scenes in off-kilter indie rom coms where the protagonists engage in classically kitschy activities like trying on hats at a thrift store or laughing in slow motion while gazing up at the clouds. Life seems more tolerable in those bite-sized tropes—a heady fantasy of ironic stereotypes interwoven with a dreamy melody. When I picture my movie montage, Mounties “Tokyo Summer” is always the soundtrack.
Mounties is a Canadian indie rock super group made up of singer-songwriter and Tegan and Sarah (among others) producer Hawskley Workman, Ryan Dahle of Limblifter, and Steve Bays of Hot Hot Heat. While Mounties originally started as a jam-session between friends, the band quickly gained traction and released their debut album, Thrash Rock Legacy, in the spring of 2014. The album as a whole is an exercise in what happens when three musical minds coalesce into an atmospheric alt-rock fan’s dream. While the entire album is well worth a thorough listen, “Tokyo Summer” is a clear stand out.
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The opening lyric is “Hazy, like a Tokyo Summer” and that’s exactly what the track is—a hazy, ephemeral tune with an infectious synth lick. It begins with a sublime keyboard cascade into the driving bass line that keeps the track grounded through one of the most tasteful uses of falsetto since Freddie Mercury. The track languidly glides along, reminiscent of slow smiles and lingering gazes. It’s a song that fully embodies the term “casual cool” and is unpretentious in its pursuit of a catchy melody.
The lyrics themselves are uncomplicated yet unapologetically poetic. “We lay together under stars as if we didn't exist// I feel the teasing of the storm clouds on both of our lips” Workman croons, cradling each word in a cocoon of longing. Though arguably repetitive, the lyrics drip slowly into the instrumentation, blending together into a nebulous and pleasantly clouded track. The music video only serves to enhance the song's laid back feel. Director Kevin Funk said he "was inspired by a long standing fascination with the way the iconic falls combine the beauty of nature with the tackiness of commercial attractions". The video is dark, poignant, and mimics the track's aura of chimerical free fall.
“Tokyo Summer” is the quintessential song for lazy days and gentle moods. Listening to it, I can picture myself lying in a meadow reading a book or running in slow motion down the sandy shore, my inner montage matching the ebbs and flows of the track in a warm haze of summer and good vibes.
Rating: 9.7/10
