By: Kyle Rutherford

The mellow vibe of GRIZ’s “Summer ‘97” that was released today is the perfect track to listen to while cruising with the windows rolled down; perhaps while sampling a bit of Griz Kush. The surprise release comes months after the song was rumored to have been finished; yet the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

Fellow Detroit native and frequent collaborator Muzzy Bearr throws down some guitar licks on the song as well, meshing with GRiZ’s echoing sax sounds to create a soulful feel that takes you back to the Motown days of Detroit.

The track is fairly sample heavy as well, taking bits of Matthew McConaughey’s lines in Dazed and Confused to start it out, vocal samples from Wax & EOM’s “Summer Breeze” on the front half and vocal samples from Seals and Crofts’ “Summer Breeze” on the second half. Grant Kwiecinski’s sax melody on the second half of the song even mirrors the guitar part of the Seals and Crofts song.

Overall, “Summer ‘97” definitely shows GRiZ’s ability to produce a wide spectrum of music. Hopefully in the near future we’ll be able to hear some more soulful tracks compared to his usual funk-fueled bangers.