Now that we’re halfway through August and the back-to-school ads are running, the notion that summer is winding down is starting to get a little stronger. But we still have some summer music to deal with.
1. JAWNY, Take It Back feat. Beck
Single (Interscope)
Recommended If You Like: Second attempts
If you’ve been following JAWNY beyond his one-time relationship with Doja Cat, you’ll know that this song isn’t completely brand new. Originally released on his 2021 EP The Story of Hugo, he’s revisited the track by getting his idol Beck to collaborate. Good move. The song is stronger for it.
2. Phoenix, Alpha Zulu
Single (Glassnote)
RIYL: Whatever they doing in France
It’s been two years since the last Phoenix single. The title comes from something frontman Thomas Mars heard a pilot repeat on a particularly turbulent flight during a storm. I can’t seem to find what the means, but given the circumstances, it sounds like the pilot was trying to convey some concern. (“Zulu-alpha” a naval term that means batten down the hatches and make everything watertight.)
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3. DWI, Party4One
Mild Fantasy Violence (Light Organ Records)
RIYL: Isolation music
DWI is the work of Dwight Abell, bass player of The Zolas. Like many people, he spent a ton of time in COVID isolation working on new music. If you’re a loner and an introvert, you’ll probably appreciate what Dwight is trying to do here. Think of it as a less self-critical version of Radiohead’s Creep. The EP will be out next month.
4. Suede, 15 Again
Autofiction (BMG)
RIYL: Wanting to be 15 again
Suede (or London Suede for all you Americans) has been with us for 30 years now and will release their ninth studio album on September 16. There’s a nostalgic air to the song—you can probably tell that from the title—which was recorded in the same studio in which they started back in 1992. They’re launching the record by performing in a string of record stores across the UK. How refreshingly old-school!
5. The Killers, Boy
Single (Island/Republic)
RIYL: Wanting to be 16 again
Plugged-in fans were expecting this release ever since the band played it live at a festival in Madrid last month. Written before the last album (Pressure Machine) came out, it dates to when the band had to cancel their Imploding the Mirage tour because of the pandemic. Brandon Flowers moved back to Utah and started hanging around the places where he grew up. With a son approaching 16, Brandon wrote this song for him, urging him not to overthink things at that age.