Vital Signs singers continue their prolific recording era, entering Spring Into Summer into the group's growing catalog.

The beautiful wordless intro is the most interesting part of this laid-back piece, with its tempo fluidity and natural push and pull. When the soloist enters, and lyrics and words begin, it's not as lush anymore. There's also a balance choice between the lead and backs where the front sound is much louder, and the atmospheric benefit being created by the group is diminished. I do like the energy build the lead and backs run up to for the bridge, but overall, better balance and warmer vowels would have preserved more of the charm the beginning so aptly provides.

It's obviously a matter of opinion and a group should record what the members feel connected to, but the original song performed by Lizzy McAlpine sits somewhere between indie pop and folk music, and the most compelling aspect to my ears is the darned acoustic guitars (hard to say in an a cappella setting). So, it is a pretty big challenge right from the jump to use this slower, sadder song as a single unless the arrangement wants to get more daring; a mid-album downtempo piece to offer a breather, perhaps.

I love a lot of what I'm hearing from Vital Signs lately. This one didn't reach me, but perhaps it will reach you.