Lana Del Rey released her sixth album Norman Fucking Rockwell! at the end of August via Interscope Records and has once again proven herself to be an insightful, eloquent songwriter. Del Rey offers up her unapologetic observations on love, the maze that is human emotion and the communication breakdown that everyone seems to have on a daily basis. One track in particular that grabs your attention is “Cinnamon Girl”, which details the cycle of a caring, but unhealthy relationship. The delicate piano kicks things off and softly rings as Lana’s melodic, longing voice begins to build before you’re engulfed in pools of light, cinematic layers of synth. She poignantly recaps her desire to connect, “All the pills that you did / Violet, blue, green, red to keep me / At arm's length don't work / You try to push me out / But I just find my way back in.” As the song comes to an end, we get a dose of swirling instrumentation—leaving room to conclude that maybe Del Rey has found some sort of closure. There’s no sugarcoating or beating around the bush, which is a consistent element of the album as a whole.

Justin Vernon has grown comfortably into his role as a sort of ambassador of alternative rock, a curator of the museum that is his tiny sliver of the musical canon, a less guttural Dave Grohl. His April Base studio is not only the home base of his many side projects (Big Red Machine, Volcano Choir, and The Shouting Matches), but has also used his musical success as a platform to support other music he loves, recording albums for The Staves, Hippo Campus, Sufjan Stevens and numerous others. Upon releasing “U (Man Like),” one of two new tracks released in anticipation of a new album, Vernon said of Bon Iver, “This project began with a single person, but throughout the last 11 years, the identity of Bon Iver has bloomed and can only be defined by the faces in the ever growing family we are.” The song is centered around a soulful piano line and features guest vocals from Bruce Hornsby, Wye Oak’s Jenn Wasner, the Bryce Dessner-directed Brooklyn Youth Chorus and a fellow experimental alternative rock falsetto-singer, Moses Sumney. The influence from these various contributors is apparent but doesn’t prevent Vernon’s characteristic voice, either melodically or lyrically, from shining through—with references to Greek mythology and German opera crowding the same verse. Addressing a range of notably American social problems, Vernon has assembled his friends to urge us all to do better, admitting, “It’ll be a long day of fixing.”

“Gretel”, the first single release of a long-awaited return LP from (Sandy) Alex G, binds the warm nostalgia of fairy-tale musings to the clammy, inevitable truths of malevolence. From its disorienting, playful beginning to the trickled-in synth, reminiscent of the “Reading Rainbow” theme, this ear-candy haunt effectively drones its listener into the magical, ominous realm of oral tradition. The shrill siren-whirs indicate trouble, allocating responsibility to the well-known greedy folk-tale sister, Gretel, of the Brothers Grimm story, "Hansel and Gretel." This song comes from (Sandy) Alex G’s upcoming 13-track album titled House of Sugar, set to be released on Friday the 13th, this upcoming September. “Gretel” will take you on an enjoyable jaunt into a foreboding fairy-tale forest through the beloved, spectral harmonies of (Sandy) Alex G.

“I See Red” is the shimmering new single from dream-pop duo Geowulf. Their first release since last year’s debut album, Great Big Blue, the track invokes their signature breezy, coastal sound while adding new depth in the lyrics. A tight drum beat and spacey synth sound introduce vocalist Star Kendrick’s crisp, clear soprano. “I keep my rage like I have a secret,” she sings, invitingly matter-of-fact. The song was written after a fight with her sister, amidst the realization that you’re only comfortable being your most horrible self in front of the people who love you the most. “And I'm only learning / Just to live, you gotta chill out / Calm down and breathe again.” Like a fight, the song starts small and gradually grows, adding more nuance and instrumentation to the arrangement, and finally culminating into a nice full band sound in the chorus. Reminiscent of a sunnier Beach House, “I See Red” is vibey and atmospheric, and should top all your summer road trip playlists.

“If you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, it’s yours; if it doesn’t, it never was” is a saying so common, it’s in danger of losing its urgency.  In her new single, however, Bedouine reopens and pours salt into the old adage. Over the last four months, Bedouine has slowly, deliberately put out tracks from her upcoming album, Birdsong of a Killjoy—“One More Time” is her fourth and latest release. Stripped-down acoustics open the song and are quickly overlaid by her elegant, nostalgic vocals. The track is an exploration, weighing the power of having a partner against that of doing it alone and an air of loneliness echoes the whole way through. Bedouine’s poignant lyrics consider the ways that being with someone can hold you back. In one verse, she is a cage and her lover the bird trapped inside; in the next, she is the shore and her lover the waves washing her away. The music reflects that characters she creates, containing both the lightness of a bird and the calming rhythm of the waves in its melody. Bedouine's celestial voice takes center stage and, at the climax of "One More Time," a symphony of strings swells to meet her. Her distinct brand of folk is drifting, billowing, and tender in this track. It feels as though Bedouine is learning something about herself over the course of the song and, luckily, she is gracious enough to share the lesson with us.

Steve Marino’s breezy single “Six Two Four” is an ode to good times and carefree summer nights. Lo-fi drums and reverberating guitars open the track, immediately emanating familiar feelings of intimacy and warmth. The arrangement is tender and hopeful; close your eyes and you might feel like you’re sitting around a fire pit with your closest friends, swaying along to Marino’s soft, easy vocals and losing yourself in the gorgeous melody. The lines “Everyone’s Here / Everyone’s Out” repeat throughout the song, making for an easy sing-along and emphasizing what’s at the heart of the lyrics and the mood: a celebration of friendship. “Six Two Four” is easy listening at its finest—it’s from Marino’s debut solo album, Fluff, which is flush with cozy songs about noticing and appreciating the people and places that make you feel like you’re home.

Tei Shi's sound may best be described as evocative, Latina indie-pop and her newest track "A Kiss Goodbye" delivers that same tone. Her exceptional recipe of R&B beats and buttery smooth vocalization makes her one of the most unique and listenable artists in her genre right now. Tei Shi transcends a rare soft yet authoritative voice in her lyricism, having a near-angelic affectation while claiming she "doesn't need a kiss goodbye" or any sort of outward approval. The blend of velvet and brash makes this new tune a stand out for the summer. Listen to this track while soaking in the sun or chilling on the porch. It's an ethereal kind of listening experience, which can be said of most of her discography. Much gentler than the majority of her punchy pop tracks, "A Kiss Goodbye" is somehow jazzy, flush and powerful all at once.

After two years of silence following the release of her sophomore album, I’m Not Your Man, English artist Marika Hackman is finally back with a new single that reminds us of all the reasons we love her. “i’m not where you are” proves Hackman to be both a master of her own sound and unafraid to experiment with new styles. The new track is full of contradictions: it opens with bright, popping synths only to be toned down by Hackman’s classic jaded vocals; the lyrics pivot between self-pitying and arrogant; and the beat makes retro fresh. The long-awaited release refuses to be categorized as just a melancholy, crooning murmur or a spiteful revenge anthem. Instead, Hackman experiences a nuanced range of emotions over the course of the song—self-doubt, indignation, regret—and the music peaks and sinks with her. 80s-esque guitar swells around her voice as she delivers her title message, which is a refusal to trust someone’s emotions if she can’t get to their same headspace. “i’m not where you are” is Hackman’s first teaser to her third full-length album, Any Human Friend, set to release on August 9th via Sub Pop. Hackman is clearly not done making us wait but at least we have this lush single to get us through the summer.

Riveting punches of hollow percussion and warped, loosely jointed guitar riffs burn off the low-fi fog of previous releases as Clairo seeks clarity through internal contemplation on her latest single, "Bags." With a kind of lyrical sleight of hand, Clairo weighs fantasy with reality, her own inner emotional turmoil spilling over in lines—every second counts / I don't wanna talk to you anymore / all these little games / you can call me by the name I gave you / yesterday." Lyrical symptoms of a non-committal lover live lines away from moments that depict the warm glow of contentment, and the reality of the dynamic remains unclear in the same way that Clairo’s voice remains unaffected. "Bags" takes Clairo out of the realm of bedroom pop and into the living room, finding a sense of ease and blossoming maturity in the sheen of her newly expanded sound.