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Last month, singer Aaron “AB” Abernathy released “A Quarter After Morning,” a hypnotically seductive track that evoked 1980s electro-soul with contemporary flair. Over its four-plus minutes, the Deanwood musician recalls Prince‘s straight-ahead raunchiness atop Black Milk‘s customary drum knock.
Now, we get the entire EP. Out today, 45 Series Vol. III, About Last Summer… follows April’s 45 Series Vol. II, In Love/Near, which paid homage to old-school romantic ballads. Vol. III details a whimsical summer fling and its agonizing demise. Here, AB is torn between two women—one who shows genuine interest, and another who just wants friendship after a late-night rendezvous. “In the end, I lost two people I love in one summer,” AB writes in a letter that accompanies the EP. “And it took me an entire year to realize that a love with you could’ve possibly been incredible if I was honest and vulnerable with you.”
On “Affairs of the Heart,” the singer analyzes how sex can complicate platonic friendships. “Pill,” carried by a twangy guitar riff, is a symbolic plea for relief: “I wish they had a pill for heartache, then I would be cool.” Despite the EP’s lovelorn premise, About Last Summer… rides a radiant wave of sun-drenched instrumentals that elicit warm feelings, even if the singer himself is dealing with personal anguish.
Stream the full EP after the jump.