Summer is back; the foliage is in full bloom; the spiders in the barbecue are up for eviction; and the bite cream is coming out, as is a selection of fine EPs and albums from artists getting in on the action of everybody’s great vibes. Comebacks abound this season, from esteemed legends (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds and Milton Nascimento among them) to the cults of Dirty Three, Los Campesinos!, and the Jesus Lizard—plus a new Jamie xx record. It is fundamentally, however, the season of pop, so get ready for Ice Spice, Kehlani, Camila Cabello, and, of course, Sabrina Carpenter to sail out of car windows and back-garden sound systems until the nights draw in and the summer goths regain control.
Alex Izenberg: Alex Izenberg & the Exiles
Alex Izenberg expands his sound on the new full-band album Alex Izenberg & the Exiles. He worked on the album with producer Phil Ek, and he draws from an act that Ek knows well, Fleet Foxes, channeling the group’s sweeping grandeur and retrofitting it to his 1970s-indebted palette. Across the 11 songs, you’ll also detect notes of King Crimson, the Beatles, and David Bowie.
–Matthew Strauss