Summer Music for Delirious Times
Featuring a pair of very different albums from Brazil, weed-gummy guitar pop, slick-talking DMV rap, and sun-kissed R&B
Welcome to the latest installment of Five Albums, the weekly feature for paid Hearing Things subscribers in which we recommend a handful of new records that you need to hear. As music journalists, the question we get most often from friends is how to stay on top of what’s new and cool. This is our attempt to provide a practical answer.
It’s that time of year: too hot to think, too easy to just languish the days away. But music can help! All of this week’s albums are perfect for the sweatiest season, whether you’re looking to lean into the deliriousness or find some relief. By sheer coincidence—or maybe the sheer preponderance of amazing music that’s always being made there—we’ve got two entries from Brazil, where it’s usually pretty damn warm. Beyond that, there’s dreamily sunburned California guitar music, relentless DMV crank, and uplifting London neo-soul. Let’s get into it.
