By now you already know all about June, and perhaps own this smoldering slow-jam reinterpretation of Tracy Chapman's Fast Car, too. But just in case you lost your Internet connection all summer, June is the brainchild of a cappella great J.D. Frizzell, director of the high school group OneVoice and producer of all the Big Risk, Big Reward things found within the A Cappella Education Association. June is a working artist concept. For the ensemble's initial inception, Frizzell selected June members from some of his best former students. After rehearsing individually over the winter in their different locations, they met up in June (yes!) to record, shoot videos, and put on a show. Next year, this happens all over again with new faces in June. It's a hand-selected, hand-crafted All-Star/Designer A Cappella model.

And what about Frizzell’s arrangement at hand, Fast Car? It’s an amazing piece. It'll be noticed and remembered for its slow-build development, thick atmosphere, and use of tension and release. It also has a deliciously full but lightly placed bass that adds tremendous personality without being overbearing, and it's not afraid of tempo changes and silences. Also, the emotions Brennan Villines puts forth in his lead are the kind so difficult to record with authenticity: desperation, desolation, grief. I believe every chilling word. The backgrounds are perfectly crafted and sung, too, with control but passion. And, the impressive soundscape from the Longos and Sperandio can hardly be contained in a stereo system. What more can one say or hope for or hear in a single? I'll be spinning Fast Car for a long time.

This group joins the company of many hard-working and impressive acts culled from best-of voices lately; this kind of a cappella growth is grounds for celebrating, and Fast Car is one to relish.