During the fleeting four months away from college, crafting a trove of summer memories mingled with nostalgic music is never an easy task. The following records, the majority of which were released since May, have been cornerstones of my playlists, and will, in the months to come, remind me of this summer’s standout moments.
- Clairo, “Charm”
Surrounded by piled up measuring cups and ensconced by my newfound love of cooking, the July release of “Charm” by Claire Cottrill, known professionally as Clairo, often filled my kitchen with its warm melodies and songwriting. The soft rock record accompanied me, mixing its sweet and whimsical strings and piano with a jazzy ‘70s inspired aura. “Nomad” and “Juna” are sparkling and smooth tracks infused with romantic tranquility. Lyrically, “Charm” is meditative and intimate, mingling personal reflections with silky and tender rhythms. Cottrill breaks slightly from the album’s signature whispered vocals on “Sexy to Someone,” which flaunts upbeat harmonies and instrumentals that twirl and cushion Cottrill’s musings.
- Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, “Challengers (Original Score)”
Sitting next to my hometown best friend at the theater, I was entranced by the tennis movie “Challengers,” in part due to its electronic, synth-heavy soundtrack that made time feel as if it was suspended in a standstill. While this isn’t a rumination on the film itself, the tense and electric score crafted by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross frequented my summer playlists. “Challengers,” and its similar rendition, “Match Point,” are saturated in dramatics, the snappy pops of each beat reminiscent of rhythmically striking tennis balls to an ephemeral range in tempo. “Compress / Repress,” the only track with Reznor’s relentless vocals, tempts listeners to just surrender to the song’s pulsing and athletic movement.
- Billie Eilish, “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT”
Billie Eilish’s third studio album, released on May 17, 2024, defined an early summer road trip for me, as I worked my way through its tracklist while watching the morning sun cast a glow across I-94. Merging onto the highway, I was allured by “LUNCH,” a fast-paced and seductive track that quickly builds into a dynamic entanglement of bass, keys and guitar. Unpredictable transitions, seamlessly mastered by Finneas, are a standout trait of the record– ranging from a soul-crushing plummet in “THE GREATEST” and the gliding in of shimmering dance floor beats during “L’AMOUR DE MA VIE.” On the album’s reflective last track, “BLUE,” Eilish reworks a previously unreleased melody into a patchwork of emotion, entrenched in references to the previous nine songs.
- Charli xcx, “BRAT”
Brat summer this, Brat summer that. After locking up for the evening at my quiet bookstore job, I’d drive home along Lake Michigan’s shoreline, with the pounding and accelerated beats of Charli xcx’s “Brat” floating out my car’s open windows. The dynamic “B2b” oscillates between sprawling pulses that are layered under assertive vocals, rewinding listeners back to what can only be described as a reverberative and ablaze nightclub. The record cherishes candid confessions in “I might say something stupid,” a tender and haunting piano creation evoking the singer’s doubts about her place in the music industry. Taking “360” to more thunderous, substantial lengths, “365” is a heavily layered track, one that descends into a melodic cacophony to close the expansive electropop album.
- Chappell Roan, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess”
While Chappell Roan’s first studio album wasn’t unveiled during the summer months– it garnered a modest reception in September 2023– few can argue the record wasn’t a theatrical spectacle in the music industry this summer. I was introduced to Roan’s music in the spring, while journaling at the library about the type of unforeseen events that can only happen in Allendale. During the first weeks of summer, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” became a euphoric retreat as I moved back into my childhood bedroom and recommenced life in my hometown, missing my college apartment and the loved ones that frequented it.
It’s an incredibly honest pop record that spans Roan’s desire to create, leave her hometown and experience joy within her sexuality. Vividly fusing glittering production and lively bass lines, the confident “After Midnight” and 2000s influenced track “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl” are energetic and lighthearted romps that celebrate queer joy. Shifting tonally, the bold and direct “Casual” chugs along in a dreamy reverie, ascending into a forceful bridge that resigns Roan to reminisce, inquire and grieve. Likewise, the stripped back “California” shines a spotlight on Roan’s vocals, layered atop speeding drum beats that mimic her sentimental desire to return to the Midwest.
