The Best Albums of Summer 2013

Related: The Best Songs of 2014 (So Far)

Related: The Best Albums of 2014 (So Far)

Release date: August 13, 2013

The lo-fi loveliness of Washed Out's 2011's Within and Without put Ernest Greene on the map in a big way. Aside from practically spawning the entire drowsy genre affectionately entitled "chillwave," all the commotion about this burgeoning electronic genre almost overshadowed the earnest musings and musical wandering of Greene. So Paracosm takes on the commotion and backlash with decided intentions, continuing the ambient lusciousness of his initial sound, and growing it into something that feels greener and healthier—stronger. If his previous work was purposefully listless, lost in the glory of being lost, this album is about discovery. It feels exploratory in the most tactile sense of the word—the samples of birds, laughter and parties give it a human texture, and even the bookended song titles of album opener "Entrance" and closer "All Over Now" give it a sense of structured purpose. There's still plenty of wavy synths.delicate strings, and intimate droning vocals, but they're on the way to somewhere now, not wallowing in one place. Both sounded good but Paracosm feels like sonic movement, another example of Greene creating his own musical trends instead of following the ideas of others.—harmonicait

Release date: June 10, 2013

On Born Sinner, J. Cole sounds comfortable with himself and his place in the rap game. He's not out to make crossover hits (although he certainly benefits from a radio-friendly Miguel chorus on "Power Trip"), he's not going to wow heads with feats of verbal dexterity like Kendrick Lamar, and he's certainly not going to look to Arca and Hudson Mohawke for production like Kanye West. Instead he chose production that suited him, subject matter that's very much his own (would anyone else make a song like "Let Nas Down"?), and made a solid, enjoyable album.—Constant Gardner

Release date: August 27, 2013

For most of the rap internet, Kendrick's verse on Big Sean's non-album track "Control" was the peak high-energy moment of this summer, and yet, listening to Hall of Fame yields the kind of lackadaisical happiness that so many albums miss in an attempt to catch attention. The slow burn of tracks like "Fire" and "Beware" is a welcome addition to the huge sounds of Yeezus and the sonic trappings of Trap Lord. Big Sean is surrounded by hip-hop heavyweights, from Kanye's own G.O.O.D. music stamp of approval to guest appearances on his record from Nas, Meek Mill, Nicki Minaj, Kid Cudi, Common... the list goes on. It's no game changer, but Sean delivers an album that carefully and candidly reflects on his grind. From the sentimental-leaning lines on "First Chain" to the final album track, 2012's "Guap," this record is a solid sophomore effort from Sean and one of this summer's strongest releases.—harmonicait

Release date: May 17, 2013

Trouble Will Find Me is an album by The National. This means that, in accordance with their reputation, it's going to take repeated listens to grow on you, will be largely concerned with tortured, middle-class introspection, and is going to be great. We've gotten used to National records being deemed excellent and been numbed by their extremely vocal fanbase urging us to "just listen to the record one more time," but that reputation is there for a reason. This record plays to its typecast, building on their unbroken four album streak of near-perfection to calmly, reliably expand into one of their best efforts yet. Songs like "Don't Swallow The Cap," "Graceless," and "I Need My Girl" are sides of The National they've shown us before, but better, more nuanced and somehow wholly new. On its head, Trouble Will Find Me feels like just an album by The National, but if you give it a chance it distinguishes itself to become one of their, and this year's, best.—Brendan

Release date: July 4, 2013

Jay Z releasing Magna Carta... Holy Grail was the biggest flex move Jay Z could make this year. Seemingly out of nowhere, among a flurry of other busy rappers dropping new music, Jay announced a record that would be released via an exclusive MCHG Samsung app. I probably don't have to explain what happened, but that latter part didn't go so smoothly. Despite that, Jay Z released a solid Jay Z album. It didn't have any surprises—it was safe and in line with what you'd expect from Jay at this point in his career—but it did prove that Jay could still make a good album and make a lot of money doing it. When it comes down to it, that might be what Jay has become best at.—Joyce

Release date: August 24, 2013

It's not necessary to reiterate how impressive King Krule's debut album is. Everyone knows, at this point, how young Archy Marshall is, and how this record is something that would normally be created by someone many years his senior. The truth is, though, that while it's not necessary to restate all of the obvious, it's important to acknowledge it. His affinity for crunchy, attention-grabbing melodies and heart-wrenching lyrics come together and acts as hope for music yielded from the next generation of artists. 6 Feet Beneath The Moon also feels a little sloppy, unfinished, and rambling, but like with many young artists who are doing something completely unique, it's the potential shown with this album that makes it so exciting.—Joyce

Release date: June 4, 2013

If we're being honest, a "cohesive" rock album isn't always a good thing. Often times, it ends up being one or two good singles and a dozen or so other songs that are less exciting versions of those singles. Sometimes a "cohesive" rock album is just a boring, drawn out way to package a couple of singles with a bunch of styrofoam peanuts that fill space. Portugal. The Man's album Evil Friends is not very cohesive. It jumps from idea to idea like an '80s baby who grew up listening to Michael Jackson, then The Beatles, then Hendrix, then Nirvana, then A Tribe Called Quest, then Cannibal Ox, then… you get the idea. It's a mish-mash of ideas loosely tied together thanks to Danger Mouse's production—a subtle but noticeable twist on Portugal. The Man's usual take on rock. But the thing is, if you're that kid that grew up listening to 50 different types of music, an album like this makes perfect sense.—Confusion

Release date: August 20, 2013

First of all, can we all now admit that a rap collective can have more than one star? Because there's still some talk of, "Ferg's good, but A$AP Rocky is the star." If we didn't learn from Wu-Tang, then we should have learned from Odd Future and Black Hippy. It's true, A$AP Rocky has always seemed like the most mainstream-friendly of the A$AP collective, but Ferg isn't trying to be A$AP Rocky, and with Trap Lord he proved once and for all that he's got his own sound. It's not an album that is going to make him a star, but it's a great first step—rowdy, unapologetically aggressive, experimental, and cohesive. He also proved—with songs like "Work" and "Shabba"—that even though he's not the new A$AP Rocky, he's perfectly capable of crafting an unconventional hit of his own.—Confusion

Release date: May 31, 2013

While Disclosure had a great run in 2012 with huge singles like "Latch," we didn't know what to expect from the brothers Lawrence when it came time for their debut album to be released. Taking the sounds of house and UK garage, Disclosure helped bridge the gap between pop and the dance music world without even trying. Seemingly at will, they'd drop a single like "White Noise" (with AlunaGeorge) and top the charts in their native UK, all the while exciting the American audiences who were both hip to their output and hoping that the American EDM scene could become a bit more like how the UK operates. With Settle, Disclosure didn't attempt to stray from their formula; they kept their influences directly in the forefront, going from the throwback sounds of "You & Me" with Eliza Doolittle to the more underground dance vibes of "When A Fire Starts to Burn." At the very least, Disclosure proved that dance music could cross over without sacrificing credibility.—khal

Release date: August 20, 2013

Perhaps one of the most highly-anticipated rap albums of the summer, Doris, like all records that we look forward to, was polarizing. Some felt that Earl Sweatshirt mellowed out and didn't offer his best; others, like myself, thought that it was a solid effort, despite the few songs that sounded like they weren't fully realized. The album feels MF DOOM-ish in focus, with Earl rarely offering up the kind of focus we got on "Chum." But the album showed maturity and Earl rapping as sharp as ever, with songs like "Burgundy," "Hive," and the RZA-featuring "Molasses," Doris is one that shaped our summer—from anxiously awaiting its release, to every music nerd discussing it in excruciating detail.—Joyce

Release date: July 30, 2013

At its core, AlunaGeorge's debut album Body Music is a pop album, but it's more complicated than that. Informed by electronic sensibility and forward-thinking production, these songs take on a sound that's as intriguing as it is catchy, which is to say it is very intriguing. Aluna Francis' vocals are sweet, fun, and sexy, and they wouldn't be out of place over standard radio-friendly production. But over George Francis' brilliantly polished, glitchy production, the album takes on a sheen that 's missing in so much of the generic-sounding pop that feels quite basic in comparison.—Confusion

INTERVIEW: ALUNAGEORGE

Release date: June 26, 2013

Killer Mike & El-P are creating some of the most vicious music out today. They rap loud, they rap mean, they rap outrageous— and on Run The Jewels, producer El-P has finally been rhyming with Killer Mike long enough to pick up some tips from his partner. This is the rare combination that allows both artists to use each other as a springboard to greater heights. Might be because they seem to be having so much fun throughout, both on and off the track. The beats, for their part are carefully orchestrated thunderstorms. Electronic crashes and huge walls of sound are the only things large enough to meet the vicious delivery. The way they weave flow and sound is impressive throughout, but "No Come Down" and "Get It" are as impressive a one-two punch as you'll see anywhere on this list.—Crax

Release date: May 17, 2013

Was Daft Punk's fourth studio album what you expected it to be? We highly doubt it. While the first single, "Get Lucky" (which featured both Pharrell and Nile Rodgers), felt like the disco-tinged sound that we'd been hearing the androids had moved into, many weren't ready for the sprawling, '70s-era Califronia dream that we received. And that's OK. From their first album Homework to today, you can hear Daft Punk moving away from working more with "electronics" into a more "live" sound, for lack of a better term. Instead of building a huge album utilizing the EDM formulas of today, they took it back to their influences, bringing in seasoned session players and disco legends like Nile and Giorgio Moroder to help create a beautiful homage to the days where we didn't have iPods or MP3s, so that album you bought had to be thoroughly devoured because, well, you didn't have many other albums to sift through at the click of a mouse. To properly dig Random Access Memories, you might need to fly to Los Angeles, rent a car, and take a long drive somewhere. Preferably with that special someone. Open your mind, look at the stars, and let the album soak in. Then realize that Daft Punk in 2013 has nothing to do with "EDM," and everything to do with attempting to create a modern classic.—khal

Release date: May 14, 2013

There's something about Vampire Weekend's sound that makes their music absolutely perfect for the summer. Feeling fun and excitable? Throw on "A-Punk." Feeling mellow on a summer evening? "I Think Ur A Contra" works. The beauty of Vampire Weekend's Modern Vampires of the City is that it has a bit of all of that, as they took what worked from their previous two LPs and crafted the quintessential Vampire Weekend record. This is one of those albums that you can play at any time, and it'll fit any mood.—Joyce

Release date: June 18, 2013

The summer of 2013 wasn't colloquially known as Yeezy Season for nothing. The album we just couldn't stop talking about was also the best. In a normal year, the best album of the summer is a "summer album," but there are no acoustic guitars here, no straightforward hooks, no sunlight. Instead, Kanye gave us an opaque gem of unreserved id, abrasive noise and anger, and forced the idea of a summer album to fit his template. Yeezus is at its best booming out of an open car window, but the person next to you at a stoplight will be uncomfortable. It's music that begs to be played as loudly as possible, but refuses to be anything but confrontational.

When Kanye debuted the first few songs at Governor's Ball this June, he declared: "Honestly at this point, I could give a fuck about selling a million records as long as I put out an album for the summer that y'all can rock to for all fuckin' summer." He succeeded.—Brendan