When it comes to summer for some reason it is the season when we allow ourselves to enjoy multiple guilty pleasures. Summer seems to give us permission to go see the new Transformers movie and wallow in the explosions and robots. The books we read are page-turners, India Drummond’s Caledonia Fae series is my beach companion this year, meant to entertain instead of provoke thought. The fragrances we wear are meant to be lighter, cleaner, less challenging; summer is cologne season. Underneath all of this is each year’s soundtrack of music. It seems every summer has a song to remind me of it. Whenever I hear it I am back in the sun-drenched time and place I heard it. In 1977 it was Sheena is a Punk Rocker by The Ramones. The aptly named The Boys of Summer provided the backbeat to 1984. Len’s Steal my Sunshine had me pounding on my steering wheel in 1999. Shakira’s Hips Don’t Lie fueled 2006 and Katy Perry’s California Gurls took 2010. Of course Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines was last summer’s infectious beat.
For a summer song I want something which allows me to play imaginary keyboards or slash at a drum set only I can see. I want it to have a chorus I want to sing at the top of my not American Idol quality voice with the sun roof open headed to the beach. It also needs to hold up to being on a short playlist set on permanent repeat without boring me. I am headed to the beach for the Fourth of July and here are the five new songs which will be added to my perpetual summer playlist.
Rather Be by Clean Bandit– I break out my air violin for the opening of this before switching to the catchy keyboard hook. The band enlists Jess Glynne to do the vocals over the tracks they lay down. It puts a happy skip into my step.
I Wanna Get Better by Bleachers– Bleachers is Jack Antonoff’s of Fun. solo project and it has the same catchy drum line as the best tracks of that band. Mr. Antonoff also adds in hook after hook until we get to the chorus where I am singing/yelling “I Wanna Get Better”. The last minute of this from the guitar solo straight through to the end is everything I want from a summer song.
Am I Wrong by Nico & Vinz– The guitar line in this one is infectious and it builds to a crescendo by the first chorus which powers this all the way throughout.
She Looks So Perfect by 5 Seconds of Summer– This Australian sort of boy band produces a power pop confection that is the very definition of guilty pleasure. It is so formulaic that it should be forgettable but there is a genuine joy in the performance which allows this to rise above that formula
Summer by Calvin Harris– If you name your song Summer you’re clearly angling to be put on people’s summer playlists. It is a good thing that Mr. Harris produces a synthesizer laden homage to the dog days.
I hope everyone is having a great summer and allowing yourself to enjoy the simple pleasures of this time of year. If you need me you’ll find me on the beach, headphones in, sunglasses on, nose buried in my book.
–Mark Behnke
