Goldford - Dreams of Summertime [Colored]

Goldford bottles a particular kind of nostalgia on Dreams of Summertime, a six-song EP from 2021 pressed here on colored vinyl.

The American singer-songwriter had been releasing music since his 2013 debut, Shed a Little Light, and this EP caught him in an especially reflective mood, a few years before Orange Blossoms carried his name to a much wider audience. The songs look back at growing up and lost innocence with a clear eye, never wallowing and always finding a glimmer of hope by the end.

The title track is the heart of it, breezy guitar strumming and a big, sing-along chorus wrapped around lyrics full of pain and regret. Ride the Storm opens the set on a determined note, Come Alive lives up to its name, and Mine to Lose closes things on a tender, reflective note.

His voice is gruff but soulful, the kind that sounds like it has a few stories behind it, and the production stays warm and uncluttered so every word carries, leaving plenty of room for the melodies to breathe.

Fans who found Goldford through Orange Blossoms will hear where a lot of that warmth began, and the colored vinyl makes a fitting home for songs this sun-faded and sincere.