“Almost July” is a track by Elderly White Man that is both nostalgic and gorgeously crafted, keeping the warmth and innocence of young love. Lyrics here plunge listeners into the sun-soaked memory of when time seemed to stretch endlessly as two people fell in love.

Striking imagery from the song opens with a certain simplicity, as in the line “The sun and the wind in your hair” sets the scene for instantly carefree summer days. The recurring mention of “red dirt down under our wheels” and “wheat standing high in the fields” places the song firmly in a rural setting, almost out of time, in order to keep things simple and pure.

The one thing that keeps on recurring, time, shows up here as a structuring element, and the phrase “time was a word in a song” makes it sound so fragile and abstract. The characters in this song live in that bubble of youth and infatuation, the bubbliness of time that is bound to leak out at some time.

The lyrics also talk about the tender dynamics of a budding relationship, as seen in the verse of the protagonist complimenting the girl’s eyes. That innocence of exchange-he finds the “green in your eyes” while people have been telling her they’re blue-adds a layer of authenticity and charm to the narrative.

For the most part, “Almost July” has the onus of a love letter to a singular, gold memory. In lyrical simplicity and with its vivid imagery, it is a touching ode to love and the passing of time.