It’s evident by now that Summrs has become an enigmatic figure in the underground in recent years — capturing the attention of not only devout listeners, but the industry altogether.
Whether he highlights the pluggnb, rage or trap pockets of his sound, fans continue to flock towards the Louisiana native’s innately raw soundscape — no matter the direction. Dipping into a slew of different genres over the years, they all seemed to gel on 2022’s Fallen Raven, which further cemented his desire to branch beyond the sonic barriers that plague those who are afraid to break free from their comfort zones.
Six months since Fallen Raven’s release, Summrs is stretching his wings further than ever before on his seventh full-length project Stuck In My Ways — seemingly assuring his limitations are well beyond those of his contemporaries.
He’s simultaneously taking what’s worked before and dynamically building upon it just as much as he’s experimenting with something new. Hearing Benjicold’s slick production is a comforting introduction to the album with his soothing guitar plucks and contrastingly punchy bass on both “Relying on Roxy” and “Start Striking.” While the producer tag might be familiar, the production and vocals that follow definitely aren’t. The pop appeal behind Summrs’ auto-tuned falsetto might just rejuvenate the Soundcloud rapper to the pop star pipeline.
A little more than halfway through the album, there’s a sonic switch that occurs as Summrs gives us some pure R&B with tracks like “Album Just For You” and “Blood Tears (Interlude).” It’s not a outright shift though, but more of a reminder that Summrs can — and will — out-sing your favorite artist.
Just when you’re getting comfortable, the Slayworld mainstay throws a wok-soaked curveball at you with bombastic bass and penetrating producer tags — especially noticeable on “Die Rich” — and it makes this 25 song album a pleasure rather than a slog, which is a rare sentiment to share in the streaming age.
Beyond all the manicured production and enthusiastic performances from Summrs are the ones that have inspired him and many others, namely Chief Keef. Sosa actually lent his talents to Summrs for the song “The Detox.” More importantly, he clearly approves of the young artist’s take on the genre that Keef has pioneered time and time again. Call it what you want, but a generational crossover like this is as rare as it is representative of the contemporary moment — a moment that clearly belongs to someone like Summrs, who clearly capitalized on that with Stuck In My Ways.
Check out “SIMW” below!
