Just in time for actual summer, local boogie rockers The I Want You are releasing Ah Really, a jangly EP that feels like beach weather after a five-month winter.
The band, consisting of Blake Girndt, Jim Gerdeman, Jonathan Ulman, and Jonathan Donaldson, burns through a handful of vernal moods in the EP’s six-song run, from the roadtrip-happy opener “On and Off,” to the LSD campfire tune “Ah Really,” to the paranoia-soaked Cape Cod kegger anthem “Total Disaster.”
All the while, Donaldson’s voice undulates through a classic range of sounds. At times, he’s Don Henley with a sense of irony. Other times, he sound like Jello Biafra drunk on good vibes. And there’s just enough harmonica and wah behind him to make it all possible.
Keener readers might note that Donaldson is a contributor to Vanyaland, and formerly the Boston Phoenix (RIP), but the guy has given just about everything there is to give to the Boston music scene, so it’s about time he gets his shine. Plus, Ah Really is the type of infectious surf pop that begs to be shared.
Though the EP is currently streaming on the group’s Bandcamp (look up, ever so slightly), the seasoned poptimists will be celebrating the release at Middlesex Lounge on Wednesday night along with Spirit Kid and Reports.
The show is featured as part of the pRIMORDIAL sOUNDS series, which promises to “fill [your ears] with milk and rainbows.”
That sounds about right.
Below, check out video for the EP’s single “Not Giving It Up.”
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