Pet Shop Boys: Nonetheless (Album Of The Summer)

80's music always sounds better in the summer. That's when we Gen-Xers would haul out our portable trannies or Sony Walkmans and head outside for adventure with the best soundtrack ever in the history of music. London's Pet Shop Boys were a big part of that and so, it is with great honor, that I have chosen their latest offering as the Album of the Summer.

Nonetheless is a stellar record. It reminds me of that golden age of music when synths and rhythm set the tone and told the story. The first track lets the listener know where they will be traveling...

The next track just sent nostalgic shivers up and down my spine...

And then we have the club number...

Folks, this record will be your theme music for the summer!

The Foo Fighters: But Here We Are (Album of the Summer)

With summer officially arriving on Wednesday, it's time for my choice for Album of the Summer. This year, the honor goes to The Foo Fighters. Their new record is called But Here We Are and it's easily their best album since Wasting Light. The power pop hooks are so completely intoxicating that I found myself openly weeping at how perfect they were. 

Example:

And then the power ballads...just shivering now:)

O...M...G, Dave Grohl. You are an amazing human who makes music that hits my 16-year-old self in 1983. 

I expect to hear this album being played out of every car, blu tooth, and portable music player this summer!

Tears For Fears: The Tipping Point (Album of the Summer)

Tears For Fears has always meant SUMMER for me. My heart grows immediately warm when I hear their music because it reminds me of so many summers in my 80s youth. Watching their videos on MTV or hearing their latest hit (and there were SO many) on the radio, the band just sounds better in the summer!

So, it's only natural that their latest record, The Tipping Point, is my choice for the soundtrack to your summer. The title track alone, which I highlighted when I made the record my Album of the Week last March, oozes summer wind and chlorine-smelling pools.

The last track, though, is just perfect for that late-night drive home from a summer date. The wind blowing...maybe by the beach somewhere...or even in a city with all the lights...mmm...

Matt Berry: The Blue Elephant (Album of the Week), Summer Sun (Song of the Summer 2021)

Bromham, Bedfordshire's own Matt Berry has just released what may very well be the Album of the Year. The Blue Elephant is certainly the Album of the Summer with its sun-soaked melodies and mind-expanding sonic waves of warmth. 

Every 60s band you have ever loved is heard on this fabulous record. Here is the official Song of the Summer for 2021.

Here is a track that sounds like it's from a lost Doors record.

Folks, it doesn't get much better than this!