Charger Music Fellers give their thoughts on summer music

Pete Stone, Co-editor and Dorian Hribar, Features Editor

From relistening to old favorites and discovering hidden classics, to anticipating and celebrating new releases, summer is a special time for music. Here are the Music Fellers’ favorite listens from the summer.

The most anticipated release of the summer was easily Travis Scott’s “UTOPIA.” An album that, despite my fears, was actually pretty good. The production was clean although some tracks sound better than others. The features add a lot of life to the album, ranging from Carti to SZA, and from Drake to 21 Savage, and thankfully Kanye’s features were cut from the finished product. The album was a bit lacking in lyrical substance, but that’s not to say I was expecting anything more from a Travis album. Overall I enjoyed the album more than I expected and most tracks are still in my rotation. Some favorite tracks are “FE!N” and “TIL FURTHER NOTICE.”

An album I rediscovered over the summer was Ween’s neo-psych classic “The Mollusk.” You would expect that an album that inspired a show as big as “Spongebob” would be more talked-about, but it seems as though many write Ween off as simply “just a meme.” This makes sense due to the band’s comedic nature, however Ween is an incredibly creative and diverse band, and “The Mollusk” is a prime example of their talent. The album’s ocean-themed concept creates an unmatched atmosphere, and as each song builds to mind-boggling psychedelic effects and epic guitar solos, you become entranced in the music. Ween’s music isn’t for everyone, as their slapstick humor and odd sounds may turn off some listeners, but this album is definitely worth a listen. Some stand out tracks are “The Mollusk,” “Mutilated Lips,” and of course the famed “Ocean Man.”

July gave us hip-hop duo Paris Texas’ debut studio album “MID AIR,” and it is such a breath of fresh air. “MID AIR” feels so, so new, and it’s probably the first album I have heard that sounds like it’s truly a product of the 2020s. But, at the same time, Paris Texas wears their influences on their sleeve across the whole album. “Lift Off” sounds so much like a song off of “The Love Below” that it’s a little unnerving, and you can feel the influence of 2010s rap on every song, even if you can’t put your finger on exactly what it is. Aside from the song with Teezo Touchdown where he steals the show (obviously), the production shines so brightly on every single song. “…We Fall” was my favorite. So new, so interesting, so, so good.

An album I came to absolutely adore over the summer was “The Power of Failing” by Mineral. I’ve known about it since I was really young, but I really can’t explain how good this album is and how much I've fallen in love with it. Everything sounds so raw and overwhelming, it consumes your entire being and draws you in, both the agonizing music and the incredible songwriting. So many of the lyrics, especially on songs like “If I Could” and “Parking Lot,” are so poetic. The delivery of every single line is so gut-wrenching it occupies all of your attention, and may distract you from the beauty of the writing.

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