Celebrate Summer’s Kickoff With New Music to Love

Summer is such a fun season for music.  I’m very much someone who is affected by the seasons, and it’s reflected in the music I listen to.  In winter I find myself listening to moody music, but come summer I’ve noticed that I gravitate towards upbeat tunes and soaring melodies. There have been some excellent new releases lately, as well as some albums I’m just discovering that are perfect for the long, hazy, sun drenched days ahead. Check out some of my recent favorites below and listen to the playlist!

My Morning Jacket – The Waterfall

I can’t stop listening to this album. I don’t want to stop listening to this album.  One of my favorite bands in the world makes a triumphant return with The Waterfall, a gorgeous continuation in a career of keeping fans on their toes.  A new MMJ album is truly like Christmas for me, it’s a gift you slowly unwrap and appreciate for years to come.  It continues to reveal itself over time, like opening up box after box in one of those joke presents that gets smaller and smaller until you reveal something far more meaningful than you could have imagined. You never know what to expect from My Morning Jacket – they’re full of surprises, each one better than the last.

Bahamas – Bahamas is Alfie

Going back to what I was saying about the seasons, there are certain songs that, when heard in a particular setting, can be amplified in their appeal.  That’s not to detract from how good they are on their own, it’s just that in a particular moment in time they can reach a heightened level of beauty.  I highly recommend listening to the Bahamas song “All The Time” in the car on a beautiful day with the windows down.

Matthew E. White – Fresh Blood

I heard about this guy during SXSW but missed out on seeing him live.  Next time I won’t make that mistake.  There’s something about his music that creeps under my skin and stays there, playing over and over in the back of my mind for days at a time.  But while that might get annoying with some music, not in this case. I get the sense he’s just scratching the surface of what he’s capable of, too… listening to his first album and then this, there’s so much variety and experimentation with different types of music. I’ve been listening a lot to his latest album, Fresh Blood, but I recommend checking out his whole catalog of work (as with MMJ and Bahamas too, for that matter).  Put on “One of These Days” off of his last album Big Inner, and imagine rocking gently back and forth in a hammock on a warm summer evening.

Alabama Shakes – Sound & Color

This album has been a long time coming, but it was worth the wait.  The Alabama Shakes continue to showcase their incredibly unique sound (due in large part to Brittany Howard’s amazing voice) and catchy melodies. It never ceases to amaze me how the most truly talented musicians can continue to evolve and come up with things unlike anything I’ve heard before, and the Alabama Shakes do just that so well.

In addition to these albums, included on the playlist below are some new tracks I’m digging from Tame Impala, The National, and Leon Bridges!

+ What are you listening to these days?

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