Grungy nostalgia warped into emo exhilaration in Summer Cold’s lyrical masterpiece, Dear Life –

With acerbically razor-sharp lyrical wit that could rival Morrissey and the unique way Summer Cold enmeshes grungy garage rock with the emo exhilaration of pop punk, Dear Life, the 5th release from their sophomore LP, Missing Out, distorts alt rock nostalgia, finding a new intersection to pour the resonance of ennui into. From the pacing to the polished production that turns the jagged, distorted elements into euphonic earworm anatomy to the sheer magnetism of the vocals as they recite poetry sharp enough to sting, Dear Life exhibits an artist who is not painting by numbers. He is purging his disillusionment into art that just so happens to hold expansive crossover appeal, hooks that dig right in your soul and lines such as “atrophied apathy”, which feel tailor-made to make you fall in love with the project all the faster.

The roots behind Summer Cold make the release hit even harder. Nic McNamara was raised between Johannesburg, Surrey and the States, absorbing studio life from childhood while his father, Stevin McNamara, worked alongside major names including Lucky Dube, Brenda Fassi, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Robert Mutt Lange. Years spent learning engineering, experimenting across genres and releasing two records under the Black Bears Fire moniker eventually pushed Nic toward a heavier, denser direction.

Summer Colds took shape as his Indie Rock and Power Pop outlet, leading to early singles such as Whiteout and Killing Flies and a debut album in 2019. Missing Out, written through the pandemic years and released on Halloween 2025, reflects that shift. It is thicker, more textured and far more willing to ring out uncomfortable emotion until it becomes melodic release.

Dear Life is now available on all major streaming platforms, including SoundCloud. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast