There could not be a more appropriately named band than The Summertimes, nor a more fitting title to their new EP ‘Luminous’ which we are proud to premiere today. Newly signed to Golden Robot Records, The Summertimes always exude a radiant glow through their power pop songs and the new EP follows on seamlessly from their self-titled debut album.
According to the band, opening track (and single) ‘Save You Now’ is about elusive salvation:
With the world becoming increasingly difficult to navigate, ‘Save You Now’ asks a deceptively simple question: who’s going to save you? Populist demagogues? Tech-bro billionaires? The AI revolution? And, perhaps more importantly, who’s going to save them?
It’s a jingle jangle delight with a serious message that sparkles like the sunshine off the coastal waters of Australia: bright, animated and melodic with an anthemic chorus and glittering harmonies that quickens the pulse.
‘Horses’ is another jingle jangle delighty, a shimmering track that starts off with crystalline guitars before the yearning vocals enter with glorious backing vocals and harmonies, as guitars splash and gambol in the distance. It has the trademark sparkling melodies that soar into the skies.
‘See Me’ starts with a more restrained pace before launching off into a soaring anthemic blast with a distant hammond organ bedrock. ‘Falling’ recalls Teenage Fanclub with its sparkling melodic delivery and hint of melancholy and it’s followed swiftly with the title track and its XTC-like pop brilliance: slightly more up tempo with a rocking undercurrent and soaring backing vocals.
‘Luminous’ does what it says on the packet: iridescent, sparkling music that is buoyant and uplifting, filled with melody and anthems, establishing The Summertimes as a tour de force.
You can hear the full EP below:
‘Luminous’ is put on Thursday, 8 October and you can pre-order it here. Another prime example of the Marrickville Sound – seasoned veterans continuing to create great music.
Led by songwriters David Beniuk and David Challenger, the EP will follow on from their debut 2023 self-titled LP (reviewed by us here) that featured some of Australia’s finest musicians, including drummer Stephen O’Brien (Tumbleweed), bassist Steve Bull (ICEHOUSE), keyboardist Marco Forlano (The Mustard), and guitarist Ashley Naylor (EVEN, The Church and Paul Kelly). Five-time ARIA award winner Paul McKercher, who’s worked with bands like Hoodoo Gurus, Midnight Oil, You Am I and The Vines, engineered, produced and mixed.
In December 2023, Cathay Pacific – one of the world’s biggest and best airlines – uploaded The Summertimes’ album onto its entertainment systems on all international flights.
In July 2025, The Summertimes were signed to a global licensing agreement with Australia’s Perfect Pitch Publishing, which called the LP “absolutely timeless – quintessentially Australian in both sound and songwriting.” Beniuk and Challenger are again joined by Bull, Forlano, McKercher, Naylor and O’Brien for their new EP, as well as The Go-Betweens’ Amanda Brown, which was once more recorded at Sydney’s iconic Rancom St Studios.
