With the new school year upon us, this is when I go back to work and leave the carefree summer lifestyle behind. So while the summer season may stretch on a few more weeks, I’ve pretty much moved on to autumn (though the sweltering Pacific Northwest weather doesn’t agree with me!). Because of this, it feels a bit strange to be writing about a new track specifically targeted toward summer. But, here we are with Even Of Day’s Darling On The Beach (해변의 달링).

I want to be a “darling on the beach” again! I also want a new DAY6 album, but that seems unlikely at this point. Instead, we have their three-man sub unit surprise-releasing a fun anniversary song. Just like ONF earlier this month, the members are currently enlisted and won’t be able to actively promote Darling On The Beach. That’s a shame, but I’m enjoying this new trend of pre-recording material to dole out at a later date.

Darling On The Beach thrives on its sense of novelty and is best appreciated alongside its colorful music video. On its own, it’s a perfectly fine rock throwback. But although the energy is upbeat and the track doesn’t take itself too seriously, there aren’t many memorable melodies to be found. The overall sound is reminiscent of DAY6’s 2017-era work and brings plenty of nostalgia. Goofiness goes a long way towards selling a song, and there’s definitely a place in K-pop for “a couple guys having fun”-style songs. With that said, I’m more likely to return to older summer highlights from the group, like I’m Serious, Feeling Good or Time Of Our Life.