Review / 200 Words Or Less
The Recluse
Summer Showers

Heart In Hand (2009) Michael

The Recluse – Summer Showers cover artwork
The Recluse – Summer Showers — Heart In Hand, 2009

Summer Showers is my first exposure to Alabama group The Recluse. I swore I heard their name before, in fact I think I saw them once... maybe not. I can't quite place where/why/how I know them.

"Pre-Death Realizations" is the leading cut and it is an odd song as it walks the line between equal parts melodic hardcore and metallic hardcore. Strangely enough, it works. "Dead," "Post-Death Realizations," and the title-track continue this fusion of fast, melodic hardcore with a harder edge thanks to the occasional chugging riffs and the throaty vocal delivery. Occasionally I heard a bit of two that reminds me of American Nightmare, though not quite as aggressive.

The Recluse definitely has a sound I enjoy; yet there is still something that leaves me not quite sold on them. Keep tabs on them; they have potential with their next release.

6.5 / 10Michael • July 29, 2009

The Recluse – Summer Showers cover artwork
The Recluse – Summer Showers — Heart In Hand, 2009

Recently-posted album reviews

Pallette Knife

Keyframe
Take This To Heart Records (2026)

There’s a fine line between being a quirky emo band with scene references and something that actually sticks. On Keyframe, Columbus trio Palette Knife don’t just flirt with that line but sharpen it, name it after a Final Fantasy item, and build ten huge choruses around it. The band’s self-described “Nerd-Core-Mid-West-Emo” tag could easily read like a gimmick, but this … Read more

The Downstrokes

The Furious Hours
Independent (2026)

There is a specific kind of sultry, salty sweat that only happens in a room with low ceilings and a tube amp screaming a warm hum for forgiveness. You can smell the lingering kerosene and the stale beer on The Downstrokes’ latest LP, The Furious Hours, before the needle even hits the groove. It’s the sound of a band that … Read more

The Arrivals

Payload
Recess (2026)

It's been a short lifetime since the last Arrivals record, Volatile Molotov, but in many ways the new Payload picks up exactly where the last one left off. It straddles the mid-tempo punk spectrum while drawing influence from seemingly all realms of the rock 'n' roll cannon. I'd state that mod, power-pop, Brit Invasion, and even R&B are some of … Read more