With half the summer still to go, here are a dozen albums to fit every mood and moment of the dog days.
When you’re driving to the beachTame Impala, Currents
How did Tame Impala follow its excellent 2012 album, Lonerism? By releasing Currents, a project that’s even better. If the band’s previous album evoked 1960s psych-rock, this one’s soaked in Beach Boys sheen. It’s still edgy enough to be a Tame Impala record, yet Currents is tailor-made for long drives along the Pacific Coast Highway. The opening track alone (“Let It Happen”) is worth the price of admission. — Marcus J. Moore
When you’re stuck at work and your friends are on vacationPinkshinyultrablast, Everything Else Matters
It’s sunny outside, half your friends are at the beach and the other half are on some trip you could only dream of affording. Meanwhile, you’re stuck at your desk, accruing vacation time with all the alacrity of an hourglass. Sounds like a good time to get lost in the fuzzy, warm sounds of this Russian shoe-gaze outfit, which has knit eight overlapping tracks of synths and effects together to help get you out of your head and give your brain a break. — Noah Frank
When you’re flying out of town (or out of country) for vacationNicolay, City Lights Vol. 3, Soweto
Nicolay’s group, the Foreign Exchange, visited South Africa for the first time in 2014. To commemorate the trip, the Netherlands native produced City Lights Vol. 3: Soweto, a mostly instrumental collection of lush grooves and thumping electro-soul. It harbors an international vibe that feels right for globetrotting. The Foreign Exchange releases its fifth studio album, Tales from the Land of Milk and Honey, on Aug. 21. Soweto is a good way to wait. — MJM
When you’re grilling out in the backyardHop Along, Painted Shut
Those unfamiliar with Philadelphia band Hop Along will likely be drawn in by Frances Quinlan’s distinctive crooning, her scratchy yet pure tone guiding the 10 tracks on the group’s sophomore effort. It’s the kind of voice that yearns to be heard over speakers, carrying delicately over the sounds of summer. You can always bring it back inside for repeat spins later, if you care to dig into the impressively introspective lyrics behind the jams. — NF
When you’re lying by the poolKamasi Washington, The Epic
Jazz is supposedly a dead genre, played in a bygone era of Italian suits, long cigarettes and smoky nightclubs. Yet this past May, Los Angeles saxophonist Kamasi Washington shattered that notion; his triple album, The Epic, came at a time of intense racial strife, and his work sought to ease the pain. Sonically, The Epic is full of dense rhythms that take several minutes to unfold. It’s equally meticulous and hypnotic, a reminder that horns and live drums aren’t so bad together. — MJM
When you’re drinking on a rooftopAlabama Shakes, Sound and Color
Maybe you want to chat with your friends, or maybe you just want to sip a cold beer on a hot night and, as Kevin Costner says to Susan Sarandon at the end of “Bull Durham,” you just want to be. While this album is more plugged in than the group’s debut, it’s got the same vibrant soul emanating from Brittany Howard’s voice and the funky beats behind it. It’s got a little more ebb and flow, a bit more punch than their first offering, staying upbeat even in its quiet moments. Your friends who know and love Alabama Shakes already will be happy to hear them, and those who don’t know will be happy you introduced them. — NF
When you’re dancing at the clubJamie xx, In Colour
When it’s time to dance, you don’t wanna think. You just wanna get lost in the music and come out sweaty when it’s over. Look no further than In Colour, the debut studio album from producer Jamie xx. For its 43 minutes, Jamie uses nocturnal sounds to compile a seamless suite of hollow dance tunes. Try to keep up with the producer if you can. — MJM
When you’re dancing in the backyardLeon Bridges, Coming Home
Sometimes you want to do something on a Friday night with your friends, but you don’t want to deal with, well, everybody else. So you invite them over, swing open the door to the backyard, and pop this album in. Bridges’ throwback, revival soul feels like it’s been pulled straight out of the silver-colored yesterday, and his velvety voice will draw you in, as you find yourself swaying and tapping your feet. With soft, rich melodies floating in the moonlight, you’ll find yourself and your friends dancing under the stars in no time. — NF
When you need a break from the heatThundercat, The Beyond / Where the Giants Roam
You can spot certain musicians before they ever say a word. For bassist Stephen Bruner (aka Thundercat), his notes tend to flutter above producer Flying Lotus’ experimental dance music. For his new EP, The Beyond / Where the Giants Roam, Thundercat explores death with a pensive reflection: He’s lost some loved ones and is still trying to cope with the despair. Yet the album isn’t overly dark: “Them Changes” evokes 1980s Isley Brothers and sounds great in the shade. — MJM
When you’re entertaining friends at a dinner partyRatatat, Magnifique
Music’s always nice to have on to fill the gaps in conversation, but you don’t want it to overwhelm or take away from the mood. Enter the best instrumental rock band out there and their best effort in nearly a decade. Mellow enough to be ignored, Ratatat’s intricately layered sounds will give your quieter friends something better to listen to than your Hill buddy Cooper droning on and on about the latest bill he helped almost get passed. — NF
When you’re reading/studying late at nightSufjan Stevens, Carrie & Lowell
There’s so much pressure to turn up these days. Music has to be loud and words don’t matter if the beat is good. With Carrie & Lowell, singer Sufjan Stevens achieved the same bluster with his voice, an acoustic guitar and not much else. It’s an understated gem in which Sufjan delves into the nuances of his mother, Carrie, who was diagnosed bipolar and schizophrenic. As it plays, you can almost see the dusty pictures, its images slowly fading from view. Sufjan purges his soul as a way to move forward. — MJM
When you’re trying to put on something the whole family will enjoyVance Joy, Dream Your Life Away
You’re not trying to impress anybody or set just the perfect mood, you just need something in the background that isn’t too lame for your kids or too aggressive for your parents. Enter the Australian alternapop singer-songwriter Vance Joy, who has been opening for Taylor Swift on her 1989 tour. His melodies are simple and straightforward, his voice soft, rangy and amenable. You won’t earn any street cred for spinning Dream Your Life Away, but your folks won’t hate you and your daughter might actually think you’re cool, even if she won’t say so out loud. — NF
WASHINGTON — It may be nearly August, but summer’s still far from over. So while the “songs of the summer” may have lost their luster, there are still many more warm days and nights for you to listen to good music, whether with friends, at cookouts, the pool, the car or the beach.
With that in mind, WTOP has compiled a list of a dozen albums of music from 2015 to suit every occasion. Enjoy, and share your own new music suggestions in the comments.
