We’re rounding up the albums that are in heavy rotation throughout the warmer weather months. Pack the cooler and grab your umbrella. It’s time for summer jams!
In This Post
It Sounds Like Summer
Picture this: It’s a warm summer day with absolutely no humidity and a gentle breeze. You load up the basket on your bicycle and roll around the neighborhood for a day of snacking, cold beverages, farmer’s markets and yard sales. You might also call this The Perfect Day, the kind of day that rolls on a loop in your mind’s summer highlight Reel. This is how we aim to spend nearly every summer Sunday in Chicago, and we’re here to provide the perfect summer soundtrack!
10 Albums to Try Right Now
Much like our fall music roundup, we’ve gathered our favorite summer albums here to get you out of your music rut. Whether you’re a vinyl snob (hey, who are you calling a snob?!) or stream all of your favorite tunes, these albums are pretty universal. We’re also constantly updating our Spotify playlist selections, and we think our Yellow Brick Home Beach playlist checks a lot of summer jam boxes as well. Enjoy!
1. Aaron Frazer, Into The Blue
Aaron Frazer is one of our favorite new artists of the last few years. His debut solo album, Introducing… has been in constant rotation since is dropped and we absolutely can’t wait for this follow up LP! Yes, of course we have multiple pre-ordered copies on the way to us as we speak! Listen on Spotify.
2. Billie Eilish, Hit Me Hard and Soft
This album has gotten a bunch of plays since we listened to it all the way through on a recent road trip. Like all Billie albums it is, in fact, hard and soft. There are beautiful ballads, straight summer jams and as always, lyrics that leave you guessing. Listen on Spotify.
3. Sabrina Carpenter, Short n’ Sweet
(Preorder) Kim went down a Sabrina Carpenter rabbit hole and has agreed with the throngs of Sabrina fans: She’s the quintessential cool girl. We’re waiting for this album to drop in August, but for now, we’ll have to rely on the new singles and the back catalog for now. Listen on Spotify.
4. Chappell Roan, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
Our friends raved about Chappell Roan while on our way to see our besties Say She She a few weekends ago and once again, a Kim rabbit hole ensued! Strange, wonderful and somehow still poppy. It sounds fresh and familiar at the same time, and we can’t stop tuning in. Listen on Spotify.
5. Beach Boys, Pet Sounds
Arguably the quintessential summer album by the quintessential summer band, Pet Sounds is a classic on every level. Unbelievable harmonies paired with groundbreaking production and incredible songwriting. Listen on Spotify.
6. NxWorries, Why Lawd?
Anderson .Paak and Knxwledge team up again as NxWorries on an album full of incredible multi-genre funk, soul and hip-hop jams. Listen on Spotify.
7. Allah-Lah’s, Worship the Sun
As the title states, this album is literally full of jangly summer tunes to keep the beach party going. We discovered Allah-Lah’s on the beach in Malibu a few years ago and they’ve been a summer staple ever since. Listen on Spotify.
8. Tyler, The Creator, Flower Boy
Tyler is a constant style inspiration for us and this album might be his ‘summer-iest’ offering to date. Sometimes breezy, sometimes chaotic and packed full of incredible hooks and features. There’s something here for everyone. Listen on Spotify.
9. Rolling Stones, Exile on Main Street
This album is on most lists as one of the greatest of all time, and it’s reminiscent of summers Kim and I spent together while we were dating. Bluesy, soulful and full of some of the most incredible horn charts of all time. Put on ‘Happy’ and try to not be happy. Dare ya. Listen on Spotify.
10. Dr. Dre, The Chronic
An Iconic solo debut that absolutely soundtracked the summer for years after its 1992 release. These songs never get old. We bet you know the lyrics to all of them without even trying. Give it a shot, and see how you do! Listen on Spotify.
11. JBL Clip 5
With all of these albums saved into your Spotify account, you’ll need a way to play them outside in the sun! We have a couple of older generations of the JBL clip and it’s the handiest way to bring music along to the beach, on a bike ride or to a BBQ.
PS: This is how we hooked up our whole home audio system, these are our top 5 albums of all time (the comments are FUN!), and don’t forget, you can find the Yellow Brick Home fall playlist here on Spotify!
I always enjoy your music posts!