5 Albums to Soundtrack the Rest of Your Summer
Whether it’s what you were blasting in the car with all the windows rolled down or the background music that filled the air during a delicious al fresco meal, the right collection of songs can make your favourite moments that much sweeter. So, on that note, we’ve put together a list of special albums to soundtrack the rest of your summer. Listen to them one by one all the way through or add your favourite tracks (we’ve recommended a few below) to add to your August 2024 playlist.
Charlotte Cardin, 99 Nights
On her sophomore record, Cardin’s voice is husky and sweet as she sings about love and loneliness. Shimmering grooves, pangs of guitar, and sultry melodies drive songs like “Confetti” and “Jim Carrey,” conjuring up contrasting feelings of blissful freedom and anxious uncertainty. The Montreal singer-songwriter has described 99 Nights as the soundtrack to her summer of 2021—a time, for Cardin, defined equally by tumult and joy. For the rest of us, this Juno-winning, Polaris-shortlisted collection is the perfect companion to now, capturing the bittersweet midsummer stretch.
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The Beaches, Blame My Ex
If you’ve heard “Blame Brett,” chances are it was stuck in your head for at least two weeks. But the impossibly catchy lead single from Blame My Ex is just a taste of what this charismatic album from The Beaches has to offer. Filled with perfectly crafted pop-rock songs with bold guitars, cheeky yet sincere lyrics, and sing-a-long choruses—“Edge of the Earth” is a highlight—the Juno-winner for Rock Album of the Year unapologetically revels in freewheeling fun.
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Haley Blais, Wisecrack
Confessional, nostalgic, and deeply poetic, Wisecrack sees Vancouver’s Haley Blais wearing her heart on her sleeve on this stunning effort. The production is tactile and intricate—warm melodies and gentle acoustic instrumentation collide with noisy guitars to beautifully illustrate existential contemplations of young adulthood. On “The Cabin,” for example, the sound of lapping water evokes wistful summer memories as Blais tenderly sings, “Never said that it was funny / But I’m laughing anyway / Instead of holding on, I dropped the rope into the lake / I’m drowning.” Achingly relatable, no matter how old you are.
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Hermanos Gutiérrez, Sonido Cósmico
Sonido Cósmico, the title of the sixth studio album from Ecuadorian Swiss brothers Alejandro and Estevan Gutiérrez, means “cosmic sound.” And that’s exactly what this inspired collection of instrumental guitar music is. From the fingerpicked slide guitar on “Lágrimas Negras” to the acoustic riffs gently echoing through “It’s All in Your Mind,” the duo draws from influences like spaghetti westerns, psychedelia, and cumbia as they embark on a cinematic journey through the warm, wide-open spaces of a far-out musical landscape.
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MGMT, Loss of Life
Nothing quite defined the psychedelic indie sound of the mid-aughts like 2007’s Oracular Spectacular did, with hits like “Electric Feel,” “Kids,” and “Time to Pretend.” It was wild and hedonistic, but with a big wink. Now, MGMT is back with a new album that retains the experimental whimsy and intellectual undertones that made them stars in the first place, and that has been a throughline across their catalogue. On Loss of Life, with layered arrangements of soft synths, alternative rock, and chamber pop that build into sweeping choruses, songs like “Dancing in Babylon” and “Bubblegum Dog” suggest that, even in the face of apocalyptic angst, love can still transcend all.
