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I guess these next few albums can be considered my summer albums. Some of these might feel summer-y, and others are just things I listened to during the summer. I didn't really listen to a lot during the summer, mainly relying on my whatever was on my iPod at the time.

Crazy For You - Best Coast
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An obvious pick for "summer album" would have to be Crazy For You. The album is about as straightforward as you can get; instead of attempting grandiose or poetic statements about love and other feelings, Bethany Cosentino tells you exactly how she feels and what's on her mind. At best, Crazy For You is easily relate-able and honest, and at worst Cosentino uses a few too many crazy/lazy rhyme schemes. But the album is more likely to win you over through its effortless melodies and endearing sentiments than make its faults felt.

King of the Beach - Wavves
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I'm not entirely sure everyone likes Wavves. It might be the level of noise they put out, it might be the curse words (some of us have parents that listen in on our music!), or simply the string of bad PR post-Wavvves. In a lot of ways, King of the Beach is a bit redeeming; each track is just a little bit cleaner and more melodious. And it's hard not to empathize with Nathan Williams when he sings about how all his old friends hate him, feeling inadequate, feeling like an idiot, and the feeling that even if you apologize for everything you've done wrong, it wouldn't make a difference anyways.

The Wild Hunt - The Tallest Man On Earth
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Surprisingly, I listened to this album almost every single night during the summer when I needed something to calm my nerves enough to fall asleep. I'll be the first to say that if you're the type of the person that finds unique voices distracting or even detracting from the music, you might want to put this album down (my mom thinks John Lennon sings nasally; imagine what she'd say about Kristian Matsson). But most people that have ever truly listened to an album by The Tallest Man On Earth will know that there is so much more going on than just a Bob Dylan-like voice. Though the album may seem a little simple with mainly guitars and Matsson singing, it at once feels very intimate and aching with emotion. (And, "King of Spain" has to be one of the best songs of the year.)

In Evening Air - Future Islands
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I didn't know much about Future Islands when I listened to In Evening Air. In fact, the only reason it even showed up on my radar was because my friend, whose taste in music is impeccable, suggested it to me. When you listen to them for the first time, Samuel T. Herring's performance can seem at times a little over-the-top. But their music seems to necessitate it; most of the songs seem to tell a narrative that requires a bit more theatricality than the standard album. In any case, the album almost achieves catharsis at times, and is incredibly rewarding.

Beach Fossils - Beach Fossils
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I might have paid a little less attention to this album as I would have to something like Teen Dream, but all the same this is possibly one of my favorite "summer-y" albums. Not a surprise that it sounds like that whole strain of bands that seem to be occupied with beach-scapes and masking their voices in as much reverb as possible. You could accuse these guys of sounding like a lot of other lo-fi bands, but the album offers a breezy album that is easy to enjoy.

Sun Bronzed Greek Gods - Dom
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I can easily imagine some people hating me for thoroughly enjoying this band. Especially if you're on Christopher Owens' side when it came to Dom's comments on the possibility that it was all just "his publicist's idea". But when it comes to effortlessly enjoyable albums, Sun Bronzed Greek Gods is damn near perfect. Catchy, sincere, and at times incredibly amusing and funny, each of the seven tracks are manage to feel refreshing.




Done done done done done! I have been writing this thing for six hours, thanks.