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The Dawn of Eternal Summers is being released by a small record company whose name starts with K. This is as it should be. Surprisingly, that company is not Kill Rock Stars or K Records, two venerable labels that specialize in the kind of sound Eternal Summers make (i.e., unadorned, jangly indie/punk rock with an autumnal, lived-in feel). Dawn collects EP, 7-inch, and cover-song flotsam from the early days of the still-young Virginia band, and the lion's share of the material radiates a ridiculously gratifying sense of charm. Summers' songs feel like they come from 13-year-olds who wrote or learned a bunch of tunes at summer camp and are now performing them on a makeshift stage on the last evening that everyone's together — a time when the kids are both enjoying a last blast of fun and sharing choked-up goodbyes. There's even a poignant moment for their version of Guided By Voices' "A Salty Salute." The band doesn't do anything fundamentally fresh with the tender, pop-derived song, but at the same time, Eternal Summers execute their music with such sincerity and care that you'll probably feel nostalgic for it as soon as Dawn concludes.
