Summer sure is great ain’t it? Yes, granted you do have to wipe sweat out of your eyes constantly; and true, being outside for more than 30 seconds does often feel detrimental to your overall health. But, the carefree joy the season regularly brings really is unparalleled among the Big Four seasons.
Unfortunately, the end of summer is fast-approaching, and though global warming makes it so fall is now effectively like, six days long, chillier days are ahead. So, as we spiral towards inevitably colder, darker times where the sun sets at 4:30 p.m, consider Oakland-based quintet Half Stack — and their debut album Quitting Time — out October 19 via Processional Cross.
Armed with three guitarists strumming away on riffs so pleasant you could build a quaint house between them, Half Stack blend outlaw country and 60s psychedelic music in a way that feels completely familiar (and honestly, even kind of comforting) upon first listen. It’s also a kind of sound that really is perfect for the time of year the album is being released. The warmth of summer is gone for the foreseeable future, but Quitting Time is filled with the kind of jams that’ll make you nostalgic for how you spent your summer vacation. Like how it sucked at first that you got horribly sunburned at the beach and subsequently had to wear an XXL Big Dog t-shirt any time you were outside, but it’s cool because now you have this really cozy sleeping shirt with a water-skiing dog on it. Or, you know, more conventional, less oddly specific memories of summertime like “barbecues,” or “hanging out with friends.”
Hear for yourself and send summer riding off into the glorious sunset by listening to “Dually,” the lead track off of Half Stack’s forthcoming debut Quitting Time, down below. Make sure to check out the album’s artwork and full tracklisting down there too — but don’t get so distracted that you forget to come back up here and pre-order Quitting Time right here.
Quitting Time tracklisting time:
01. Dually
02. Quittin’ Time 55
03. Oranges
04. Top of the Mountain
05. Hanging Out
06. Lil Jazzy
07. Balmorhea
08. Get Well Soon