It is too late to deem a single the a cappella song of the summer? The bop that is the Boston College Dynamics' Golden captures joy in both sound and spirit. The track's charisma begins with lead soloist Gabriel Santos who capably covers Harry Styles while bringing his own runs and high range to the melody.

In my review of No Lows, Pt. II, I criticized this group for lacking dynamism and energy. Golden, in contrast, radiates musicality and enthusiasm from the first note to the last. Shams Ahmed creates a compelling arrangement of what could have been a fairly static song. He finds moments to pull back and build tension, especially during the second verse and the bridge, and the group leans into the dynamic shifts and articulations. Although, the climactic moment doesn't quite reach its full potential, like the group still had gas in the tank they weren't using.

The sound is focused, ready to leap into musical action, and the blend is smooth — in large part thanks to excellent production work by Mel Daneke, Ed Boyer, and Bill Hare. Nikolai Darenkov and Kyle Leonard are similarly nimble in their vocal percussion, shifting the beat structure often, sometimes each measure, in synchronization with the arrangement's subtle shifts.

You can also see the group's radiant performance in the music video for Golden, which was directed and produced by Ahmed as well. For those who are trying to hang on to summer vibes as the season wanes to fall, this video will satisfy all your cravings for white linen outfits and shots of the beach at sunset accompanied by beautiful musical stylings.