Summertime is in full swing. The best summer record's to date are Coloring Book (Chance the Rapper), Why Are You Ok? (Band of Horses), and Light on the Lake (Whitney). Keep the tunes coming.
- Chance the Rapper's genre-hopping Coloring Book is easily one of the best hip-hop albums in years. Enjoy opener "All We Got," a heady fusion of spoken word, gospel, rap, and jazz, which sets the tone for the rest of the record's musical uplift.
- Band of Horses "In the Drawer" is a really great track cranked up to eleven. J. Mascis from Dinosaur Jr. provides additional vocals/guitars. "Whatever, Wherever" is a sweet song made sweeter with the accompanying video, emphasizing the album's focus on home life.
- Frightened Rabbit's new album, Painting of a Panic Attack, may be the Scottish band's most cohesive record to date. Produced by The National's Aaron Dessner, the record moves through a series of bittersweet anthems, which never teeter over the edge due to the barely-holding-on voice of lead singer Scott Hutchison. Check out lead single "Get Out.
- Mark Kozelek's version of "Float On" is all right.
