Indian Summer: "Giving Birth to Thunder" (Album Review)

Genres: Post-Hardcore, Emo, Screamo 

Giving Birth to Thunder is a fitting title for a piece of work that almost refuses to be anything but thunderous and booming. Indian Summer tackles music with such a rage that the lyrics become indiscernible at times from how viciously the vocals are screamed. At other times, the lyrics are quietly whispered, almost to the point of being unheard. Throughout it all, the spark of passion can clearly be felt.

This compilation is the collection of Indian Summer’s entire discography, which is only a mere ten tracks. As short as this discography is, there is so much packed into each of these songs that it feels much longer than it is. Intensity is a quality that is embraced throughout these ten tracks, playing with different levels of energy and bringing a nice level of subtlety to such an extreme album.

The main aspect expressed throughout the album is this concept of levels. Songs like “Aren’t You Angel?” and “Orchard” show the power of constantly shifting energy. Having such drastic changes in tempo and the volume of the vocals creates a mysterious tone that’s powerful all the same. On an emotional level, you’re forced to feel the rising and shrinking tides of passion. Crafting songs in such a creative way also makes for a special and even personal listening experience.

With the length of Indian Summer’s discography, it makes sense that the biggest problem this album suffers from is that of formatting. Simply being their entire discography, “Giving Birth to Thunder” doesn’t place a focus on qualities like album sequencing, cohesion, or storytelling. The result of this is ten well crafted tracks that don’t bring new meaning by being brought together. More enjoyment would possibly be found listening to each song as a single, instead of as part of a compilation. 

Another problem as a result of formatting is the difference between each song being performed at a live show compared to studio versions on an album. The high-tempo and dynamic energy makes for a better performance compared to an at-home listening session. This is because the effects of the unique choice to shift between extremes of low energy to high energy, is not nearly as felt when it happens across all of these studio recordings one after another. There is a quality that’s just lost when these songs are bundled into a neat little collection and I think that’s really a shame.

“Giving Birth to Thunder” finds strength in its truly bold choices, rejecting conformity and choosing to embrace a style of its own. Indian Summer existed as a band that brought shock waves, as it took the emo scene by storm. Although the same power is showcased in Giving Birth to Thunder, I wish the same level of presence was. Undeniably shining brightly and burning hotly, perhaps Indian Summer can be likened to a supernova, as a star that has reached the end of its life. 

Favorite Tracks: Aren’t You Angel?, ⚡️⚡️⚡️, Orchard, mm., Sugar Pill

Least Favorites: n/a

Enjoyment: High 7

Critically: Low 8

Arbitrary Number: 8.3/10