Summer is the season for blockbusters, beach reads, and music festivals. The time when we are supposed to experience the same things, in unison. You can understand how producer Lyndon Rivers is attracted to this idea. Landing a song of the summer is the ultimate expression of musical consensus. Summer is still a while off, depending on which side of the equator you’re on, bur Rivers is already working up a fuss with his latest single “Take Me Away”. It is an investigation into what a song of the summer feels like, and how to cultivate that nostalgic feeling. It resembles a memory or dream, and can appear to look backward or forward, in remembrance or anticipation, depending on your perspective.

Lyndon Rivers has an ear for talent, and has the aesthetic instincts to build his arrangements around a vocalist’s strengths. Rivers works best with artists who can subjugate their personalities to the rhythms and structures of the song. No decadence or pyrotechnics needed, just a sentimental faith in the hook and the beat that Rivers supplies.

The songstress sings in a manner consistent with the house music tradition of elliptical, elusive vocals; of dancing around an idea, and then steadily committing to it. Her performance is timbral and emotional, captivating enough to perfectly fit the narrative.

The lyrics allude to a plea from the narrator to a potential lover, but it is difficult to tell if the romance is prospective, in its early stages, or headed toward its end. Either way the singer brings this philosophy toward its simplest and most elegant expression.

Working in a genre often criticized for being big, loud, and busy, Lyndon Rivers’ music moves toward minimalism and a temperamental evenness, never tilting too much toward extremes of volume, timbre, or pacing. “Take Me Away” is that rare track that does exactly what it purports to do, slipping across the consciousness as if it were coated in sunscreen.

“Take Me Away” also happens to be the perfect jam for this upcoming summer, wrapping escapism together with an inescapable hook. It’s a track that bobs and sways between varying tempos, and rarely ever bangs; this one will get plenty of play at the daytime pool parties rather than in the clubs.

Rivers almost totally abandons the gigantic EDM beats that fueled some of his earlier releases, trading them in for noodly reverberating synths, neo-disco bass lines, and shimmering keyboard hooks. It’s a refreshing change of pace in a musical climate where others are trying so desperately to prove a point inside the club.

“Take Me Away” is a sure sign that Lyndon Rivers knows exactly what he’s doing in trading arena-sized bangers for something that sounds more like a smooth, chill pleasantness, raised to an art form. Rivers is an undeniably talented producer, and he can make dance music pop with just about any vocalist. Once again here, he manages to create a cohesive fusion that transcends genre.

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