The bad news: Summer’s days are numbered (quite literally). While there’s still a metric ton of festivals, block parties, and other bits of civic celebration on the books for Milwaukeeans to enjoy between now and the outset of autumn, there are just 45 measly days of summer left before we’re officially into fall and left to brace for the impending darkness and frigidity of winter. We’ll do our best to make these days count and we urge you to do the same, but the end is nigh. Cherish it!
The good news: Though time is running out, we believe we might have found the Milwaukee-made SONG OF THE SUMMER…at least in this writer’s opinion.
If the headline wasn’t already a dead giveaway, the summer-suited track we’re referencing is “When I’m Alone I Get Real High,” which is the latest single by Shontrail. When we last checked in with the Milwaukee singer-songwriter back in June, he had just released “Red Rabbit.” Just over a week ago, Shontrail chased that lead single from his forthcoming sophomore record, Lost In Limbo, with the aforementioned summer song. And, as can be expected with anything Shontrail puts out at this point, it rules.
“What makes this a summer song?” We’re glad you asked, fictional reader who was created to help move this article forward. While the “summer song” is kind of a broad, know-it-when-you-hear-it distinction, we wholeheartedly think “When I’m Alone I Get Real High” meets the criteria in more than a few ways. Let us explain how, fictional reader!
• Is it uptempo and lively from the instant you hit play? Check!
• Can you play it as background music on the beach or at a bonfire? Yep!
• Does it have a catchy chorus that’s fun to sing along to? Uh-huh.
• Are there vibe-y guitar licks and background vocals? You know it!
• Was it released during summer and/or does it make you think about summer? Absolutely.
• Is it three minutes on the dot? Strangely, yes, it is!
• Could you envision yourself bumping this while driving with your windows down on a particularly nice day? We haven’t tried it yet, but yeah.
• Will we eventually put this on a playlist we’ll listen to when we’re alone and real (legally) high? Very likely.
“I wrote this single in the middle of my currently chaotic life,” Shontrail tells Milwaukee Record. “Working two jobs while making music has been physically and mentally taxing, hence why the song is called ‘When I’m Alone I Get Real High.'”
Shontrail also made sure to stress he’s referring to “only weed, nothing more than that,” so maybe keep that Facebook comment to yourself this time around. Though there’s still time for another local project to change our mind, Shontrail’s “When I’m Alone I Get Real High” is very much in contention for the lofty and real title of “Milwaukee Song Of The Summer.” Give it a listen and, if it somehow differs from this amazing single, let us know your personal MKE S.O.T.S. nomination on social media.
