When you’re younger, noises like “splash” often make up the sounds of summer.
But with age comes something a bit louder, a bit tougher, a bit wilder—like the ear-scorching guitars that ring through
That Summertime Sound.
The book, by Matthew Specktor, starts off like a classic road-trip story; having been convinced that the world’s greatest band resides in Columbus, the book’s narrator (and L.A. kid through and through) treks out to Ohio with a car full of kooks. Once he gets there, new friends, broken hearts, and even monster frat boys won’t stop him from hunting down the infamous Lords of Oblivion. But finding the fabled noisemaker Nic Devine is only half the battle (and the book)—from there,
That Summertime Sound spirals out of control, with Ohio proving to be a very different Promised Land.
Though some characters could benefit from a bit more development (especially the women in the book, who come off as after-thoughts in the minds of both the narrator and the author), what’s striking is how well it captures the mood. Anyone who has experienced that turning-point summer, one where innocence and experience meet and mix like a sun-faded snapshot. Sure, it’s all about the music, but learning that love is sometimes less about a person than the idea, or that someone who you spend time with isn’t necessarily a friend, are equally important.
It’s a sentiment that’s near-universal, considering some of the people who have signed on to promote
That Summertime Sound; you can hear excerpts of the book read by the likes of James Franco, Gwyneth Paltrow, Evan Dando, and J. Mascis. It’s not the same as hearing Nic Devine cover “Kids in America”, but it’s an added dimension to a book that’s all about the moment.
REBECCA WILLA DAVIS
$24 at
powells.com, visit
thatsummertimesound.com for more info.
