The Riveter’s choices for Song(s) of (mid)Summer.
By Pierce Courchaine
More than any other season, summer’s releases seem to have a certain type of personality. They have a warm, carefree feeling and a youthful energy often associated with road trips and long cool nights. Or maybe that’s just me imparting my own summer experience on these releases. You can decide for yourself below.
Check out the videos below, or enjoy our Best of July Spotify playlist.
Ariana Grande – “Break Free” [Feat. Zedd]
Okay, this is so not my kind of music. Zedd’s inclusion on any track runs the risk of making it sound like some overproduced, Top 40 garbage. But good golly, Grande flexes her vocal prowess on the chorus and saves the whole damn song from mediocrity. In all honesty, Grande’s previous single, “Problem” with Iggy Azaela, is a better song, but give “Break Free” a chance. This 21-year old is scary good and her August album is going to be gigantic.
Alvvays – “Atop a Cake”
A Polyvinyl worker shoved Alvvay’s first single into my hands at Pitchfork Music Fest after I uttered the secret password, “Pickle Pizza,” at their pop up shop. I’m making that sound way cooler than it was. The reality was everyone got this single if you (1) attended P4K, (2) subscribed to the Polyvinyl newsletter to get the password, (3) weren’t messed up enough to walk your ass to the shop and (4) string together two words. I’m glad I eventually listened to not just the single but also the whole album. “Atop a Cake” is a bouncy summer track about an overbearing relationship reaching a breaking point. Hats off to that promo team because they hooked me.
Woman’s Hour – “In Stillness We Remain”
Soft and sweetly, “In Stillness We Remain” blooms a minute in and carries gently to the end. It’s kinda like when you take a road trip and, approaching the city, you come up on the crest of a hill. Then, boom. There it is, in all its glory.
Beverly – “Planet Birthday”
The best shoegaze music toes the line between abrasive and encompassing. For the most part, Beverly’s wall of sound on their debut album hits that sweet spot. On “Planet Birthday,” jarring guitars occasionally poke through the wall to break up the blitzkrieg. Other than that, the song’s simplicity is its charm. Power chords and a disembodied voice saying “Let it ride” over and over hypnotize the listener.
Honeyblood – “Braidburn Valley”
At their worst, Honeyblood is a poor woman’s Best Coast without the sun and the sand. Their slow burner “Braidburn Valley” is a different kind of monster, though. It’s got a fuzzed-out guitar, the killer lyric “Another fuckin’ bruise / And this one looks just like a rose.” Whether you’ve been through it all or you’re living a posh life, you know exactly how she feels.
Top photo shows the recently released Alvvays eponymous LP.
Pierce Courchaine is a contributor for The Riveter. You can follow him on Twitter at @PJCourchaine.
