After my "Five Essential Winter Albums of the Past 15 Years" article in the winter (an article that I hold very dearly, being that it was the article I submitted with my application for Odyssey) and my misnomered "Five Essential Albums of the Past 15 Years" which really should have been "Five Essential Spring Albums...", it's only appropriate that, with an impending end to freshman year of classes, that I publish not only an article for summer articles, but one with double the albums.

These ten albums are great soundtracks to the summer because of their free-flowing energy and their friendly melodies. Each one reflects a different recurring trademark of the hotter months, and, while they are fun to listen to, each one of them, I promise, is not devoid of intelligence like summer blockbusters (anyone else pumped for Transformers 5?) Each album has themes that not only are provocative, but are also ones that your mind is more likely to be susceptible to in the summer months.

*symbol crash*

"Graduation" by Kanye West

Released: 2007

After two long-winded, introspective critical darlings, "Shakespeare in the flesh" hip hop artist Kanye West releases this deeply enjoyable collection of radio-friendly hits. Devoid of filler, every song is a banger, and, listening to it, you can fully believe you're living the "Good Life." Despite this, West still explores deep themes like materialism in "Flashing Lights" or response to fame in "Can't Tell Me Nothing." There are no moments better than when my friend, Ryan, and I drove out of Seaside on prom weekend listening to "Homecoming."

Best Track: " Homecoming"

"Sky Blue Sky" by Wilco

Released: 2007

Infamously and wrongly titled the "dad rock album", Wilco's sixth feature LP begins with the sweet guitar arpeggios of "Either Way" and it holds throughout. "Sky Blue Sky" deals with loss and self-reflection, most notably evident in "I Am Your Face" and "Hate it Here", but it's most known for "Impossible Germany"-esque chill guitar solos that are perfect for barbecues and mellow trips.

Best Track: "I Am Your Face"

"The Suburbs" by Arcade Fire

Released: 2010

Anyone who listened to this album understood the symbol crash earlier this article. Not only a great summer album but also my favorite album of all time, Arcade Fire follows their existentialist, blasphemous, cathartic "Neon Bible" with "The Suburbs" a breezy record about living in the suburbs. This album is perfect for both kids stuck in the suburbs in the summer as well as twenty-somethings looking back at those summers. This album sounds like it was made for summers in the suburbs with theme song "The Suburbs", house party banger "Month of May", and belt it out in a late night joyride "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains.) Listening to this, you'll think that if you could have it back, all the time you wasted, you would waste it again.

Best Track: "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)"

"Teen Dream" by Beach House

Released: 2010

As Beach House is the ultimate group to listen to at night, "Teen Dream" is the ultimate album to listen to on summer nights. The mellifluous trademark sound is amplified here with sleeker production, and playing it outside is the musical equivalent is skipping a rock across a pond. Specifically, "Teen Dream" is great for the summer romance, with odes "Zebra", "Walk in the Park", and "Real Love."

Best Track: "10 Mile Stereo"

"Contra" by Vampire Weekend

Released: 2010

The Brooklyn quartet's first three albums each have their own area of the U.S. that they modeled each album after, respectively, and "Contra" is placed in California. Starting with the tropical xylophones in "Horchata" and finishing with the downplayed "I Think Ur A Contra", "Contra" is best described as San Gria: sweet but with some bite. This album is consistently fast paced, with hurried "California English" and "Cousins", and there is just some straight up ear candy ("White Sky" and "Giving Up the Gun.") However, there are several political topics in VW's sophomore LP like the Iraq War ("Holiday") and being gay in a conservative family ("Diplomat'S Son.") Together, "Contra" is a consistent, pleasing album that can easily fit into your Hipster Beach Playlist.

Best Track: "Giving Up The Gun"

"Camp" by Childish Gambino

Released: 2011

"Camp" is to hip hop what "The Suburbs" is to indie rock. Donald Glover's debut album "Camp" is a character study on himself, often switching back from his current day himself and himself from summer camp as a kid. As the album progresses, we see that Glover hasn't changed much, perfectly represented in the last words in the album in "That Power": "The truth is I got off the bus a boy, and I never got off the bus; I still haven't." "Camp" has nostalgic moments like in "Kids" and very evidently in "That Power", but it also has tracks in "Firefly" and "You See Me" that are perfect for rapping along to with your friends on your back porch. Word of advice, though: just because there's a song called "Bonfire" doesn't mean that it's a good song to play at a bonfire.

Best Track: "You See Me"

"Channel Orange" by Frank Ocean

Released: 2012

The Odd Future vocalist's debut album was released suddenly on July, 10, 2012, the perfect moment for your perfect summer album. "Channel Orange" has sweet-sounding tropical songs in "Forrest Gump", "Lost", and "Sweet Life" ("So why see the world when you've got the beach?") It also discusses topics like lost love "Thinking Bout You", growing up rich "Super Rich Kids", and religion "Bad Religion." Although we're all waiting for his second album "Boys Don't Cry" which is supposed to be released this year, to pass the time this summer we can all chill out to "Channel Orange."

Best Track: "Pyramids"

"Lonerism" by Tame Impala

Released: 2012

Although "Currents" does have some bangers, I gotta go with "Lonerism" for the representative Tame Impala album. With infectious melodies and a nasal, passive voice from Kevin Parker infused with psychedelic touches, "Lonerism" sounds like The Beach Boys going through a black hole. With tracks like "Mind Mischief" and the anthemic, recognizable "Elephant", "Lonerism" is good for those days when it's just so hot.

Best Track: "Keep on Lying"

"Lost in the Dream" by The War on Drugs

Released: 2014

Even without Kurt Vile, The War on Drugs still comes out with a fantastic album. "Lost in the Dream" sounds like a summer album concocted by the summer classic rock greats, with influences shown from Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, and Bob Dylan. Tracks like "Eyes To the Wind" and "Red Eyes" makes "Lost in the Dream" the perfect road trip album.

Best Track: "Red Eyes"

Weezer (2016) by Weezer

Released: 2016

Just barely sliding in in April, Weezer released their best album since Pinkerton. Not changing their sound at all (the best resemblance to the White Album is the Blue Album), Rivers Cuomo and co. are sticking to their roots in California, even with two songs named after it ("California Kids" and "L.A. Girlz.") Not only is the sound the same, but 45-year old Rivers Cuomo seems to still have the same angsty, 20-year old feel that he did when he first started out ("Thank God For Girls", "Endless Bummer.") So, instead of playing the Blue Album at the beach, you can finally switch it up with Weezer's latest effort, but I don't know if you could tell the difference (which isn't that bad. Not that bad at all.)

Best Track: "Endless Bummer"