For me, a summer is incomplete without music that is new to the ear. Car-rides are a trance-inducing excitement. I think about looking out the window and letting the world pass by to my personal soundtrack. Picture: windows down, a star-dotted sky, and a beautiful, wordless beat to let your mind wander. Whether you're on your way to work or going on a late night drive, these albums make the ride about more than just the destination.

1. Yore - Evenings

"Evenings", a project started by Nathan Broaddus, making music on his computer and with analog synthesizers, began in his college years.

He never expected anything to come of it, releasing most of his music free on the internet, but in 2013, Yore, his first album emerged. Yore resonates feelings of love, rural freedom, and youth, but most importantly, it captures the essence of an endless summer day, from an early blue-sky morning to a deep sunset afternoon.

The synths and soft looping coats you in a dreamy haze. Including both familiar guitar strums and nature sound samples with computer-generated hi-fi rhythms, each song mixes something eclectic with the homespun atmospheric sounds of summer. This album is a must if you are a fan of ambient music or chillwave.

Recommended track: "Goodbye Forever". Listen to the full album here.

2. Will - Julianna Barwick

Julianna Barwick's music falls somewhere between a celestial church choir and transient drones, Barwick draws inspiration from congregation and solitude, using her voice as the main instrument. Her voice is strong yet soft, angelic and haunting, focusing more on the intricacies and layering of her voice rather than what she is saying; if she's saying anything at all.

Will is sprinkled with deep echoes that sound almost unworldly, strange but hypnotizing, looped string instrumentals unclear where they begin or end, and light remnants of piano that ground this album back in reality. Each song stands strongly alone, but they stand even stronger together, as the album takes you on an airy, out-of-body experience. Will is soaked in spectral melodies, each song is a gem in its own right.

This is the soundtrack for stargazing, peeking your head out the car window to catch a night breeze, and brooding before you settle to sleep.

Recommended track: "Nebula". Listen to the full album here.

3. Dive - Tycho

Scott Hansen, also known as Tycho, has been making music for over ten years now using live instrumentation such as guitar, bass, and drums.

His music, heavily influenced by 1970's nostalgia, incorporates warm undertones and ambient synthesizer pulses. This music is electric and alive, perfect for beaches and sunny weather cruises.

Dive is upbeat yet mellow, and melancholic, drenched with a California-indie vibe. Each song smoothly flows into the next. It's hard to imagine this album for any other time but summer.

Recommended track "Dive." Listen to the album here.

4. Noir - Blue Sky Black Death

Blue Sky Black Death, the collaborative efforts of Kingston and Young God, both better known by their stage names, have been producing together since they met in 2003. Both artists have extensive experience in beat-making for indie rappers, and the hip-hop influence is strong throughout the album.

Noir is a blend of the live instrumentation of violins, cello, piano, guitar, drums, vocal performances, and other various sampling and nods to creative works.

Each song feels like it tells its own story, beginning simply, and then continuously looping, mixing, layering new instruments until it sounds like a completely different song than from the beginning. From children's choirs to dialogue from Stand By Me, BSBD creates a completely unique sound of instrumental hip-hop and electronic ambient.

Noir is an intensely emotional album, and the eight years of experience the duo has working together definitely shows. This album is a genre of its own. It is a night-time drive masterpiece.

Recommended track "Sleeping Children are Still Flying." Listen to the album here.

5. Mend - Geotic

Geotic is one of the monikers used by Will Wiesenfeld (he's mainly known under "Baths" where he produces electro-pop). Geotic is much more minimal, somnolent, and drone-like.

Mend is made up of beautiful electric guitar based melodies with lots of simple looping and layering. No song really has a climax, and the album stays down-tempo and soft throughout. Mend is ethereal; a beautiful collection of sparkling, peaceful ambience, as each song blends and embraces the chords being strummed in an offhand fashion. Each song is intricate, without feeling over thought or forced. This music feels like it just came into his mind and cultivated it into a piece of a dreamy atmosphere. Perfect for the long drives where you're alone with your thoughts.

Recommended track "Disrobe and Come to Bed With Me." Listen to the album here.