When Lana Del Rey dropped "Summer Bummer" featuring A$AP Rocky and Playboi Carti off Lust For Life, the song immediately stood out for its use of trap drums, frequent ad-libs, and a minimalist dark instrumental. Lana's vocals remained true to her depressed-fifties-suburban-troublemaker aesthetic, and A$AP Rocky turned in a decent, if not a little phoned in verse. Overall, the song stood out as an eerie highlight on Lana's album, and proved that Ms. Del Rey could pull off a deeper foray into the hip-hop world.
Now, the song has found itself in the capable hands of frequent A$AP Rocky collaborator Clams Casino, the man responsible for several deep cuts off A$AP's critically acclaimed Live.Love.A$AP mixtape. Known for his brand of hazy bangers, Clams approaches the Lana track by stripping it down; it's not chopped and screwed, but gone is the up-tempo urgency of the original's percussion. In place is a slow, almost drugged out drum groove, which never fully feels grounded. Perhaps that's a deliberate choice, in order to perpetuate the underwater vibe of the remix.
On that note, the best part arrives when a smattering of rain-like synths drift through the speakers, accentuating Lana's melancholic chorus. Her cries for an undercover lover are now buried beneath a wave of oddly-dissonant synthesizer pads, adding an interesting juxtaposition between the music and the lyrical content. Honestly, it was somewhat off-putting at first, but on repeat listens Clam's take on the song has grown on me; it is, however, weird shit.
Either way, it's enough to breathe a new sense of life into a track that hasn't been popping for a minute. Check it out now, and once again lose yourself in the haunting wails of Lana Del Rey.
Quotable Lyrics
Goin' bell how I feel, close the deal, pop a seal
Take the whip, two pills on the lips on the real
Truthfully, between you and me, I'm usually single
When it's hot outside this, I ride through any hood with the top out
