Ghost of Summer Suns - Review in Bitch Magazine, Spring 2010 issue
Elizabeth Elkins, the powerhouse frontwoman of The Swear, carved a niche for herself in the Atlanta rock scene with a decade of crunchy bar chords, perfectly disheveled vocals, and ravaging live performances. While The Swear has garnered everything from a Rolling Stone nod to dates on the Vans Warped Tour, it's the talented Ms. Elkins's surprising decision to go at it alone that has done her the most justice. Ghost of Summer Suns, the Alabama native's solo project, gives her punk-rock muscles a break; instead, it offers up a new style that's instrumentally complex and roomy enough to showcase her capacity as a lyricist.
The result is a self-titled, iTunes-released debut EP that exemplifies a powerfully deconstructed postpunk methodology while featuring a more vocally delicate side of Elkins. The slow, spacious "Winter Card" tips its hat to Mazzy Star, but brings a chorus every bit as big and poignant as Concrete Blonde's "Joey." "White Coats", the EP's most passionate track, recalls the voracious musings of Ian Curtis and Joy Division as it bids a final farewell to a destructive lover. And the opening track, "Gifted", might be the truest blend of Elkins's past and present: The artist's familiar, crestfallen voice is set against a wall of angelic harmonies and an accessible chorus. Compelling throughout, Ghost of Summer Suns proves that Elkins's departure from her past is a step in the right direction." -Claire Ashton
