After a depressingly cold fall day in the state where I live (hint: it snowed), I thought it would be apt to look back at songs that make you feel warm, free, exuberant and, most of all, sound like summertime. These songs all bring out some sort of summer-like lyric, instrumentation or theme that fits the warmth and energy associated with summer.

7: Kids by OneRepublic

This song is by far my favorite OneRepublic song of all time. You could make a case for No Vacancy sounding more like summer, but this song actually has lyrics related to summer. Its throbbing synth that evokes the slow moving, yet still energetic, movements of the summer season. The filter on the melody vocal is just enough to make it an interesting melody, but not too much to make it an annoying squeak. The lyrics consistently connect on the topic of wishing that you were younger, but resisting the urge and living for today rather than in the past.

6: There’s Nothing Holding Me Back by Shawn Mendes

Now, to be honest, this song may not be here by its own greatness, but by the timing of its release. This song came out in one of the most depressing times in pop music: The summer of 2016. It was a breath of fresh air in one of the WORST times for any good music coming out. To this day, the memory of that summer and it’s songs will always be highlighted with There’s Nothing Holding Me Back. The upbeat start to a relationship that takes place over one of Shawn Mendes’ best grooves ever. His guitar tones on the verses are impeccable. The chorus mainly keeps it back with its weak as all get out guitar solo. He seriously needed some Van Halen or Sting on that thing. 

5: Pink Lemonade by James Bay

Moving onto better and more guitars, where we find James Bay firmly planted at number five. This is the first song on this that cements its spot mostly on its impeccable use of reverb. The guitars keep the song moving while the reverb fills out the in-betweens. James Bay cooks up some of his best lyrics on the album Electric Light. His songs remind me of a more energetic John Mayer. This song sings like Pink Lemonade tastes: Sweet and sparky. 

4: Strawberry Swing by Coldplay

Coldplay has a lot of good songs. Arguably, they have songs better than this one. Many songs better than this one, even. However, this is their summer song. When you think of laid back pre Ghost Stories Coldplay, you will think of this song. Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends is probably one of the best summer albums of all time. This songs whispiness and ethereal background goes perfectly with Chris Martin’s middle range vocals and the bass to anchor it together. Just the concept of sitting in a swing in summer is perfect for this list. 

“Now the sky could be blue/ I don’t mind/ Without you its a waste of time.”

3: Mountaintop by Relient K

Another song that makes you want to run through grassy hills in the middle of June comes in at number three. This was a song that I first heard live. Ever since then, I have wanted to hear it live again. That has yet to happen, but instead, there have been plenty of streams from me for the Relient K album: Air for Free. The song talks about a trip with a significant other where there is “something missing but that’s what makes it perfect.” Matt Thiessen is a great lyricist and this song brings out his more energetic side perfectly. It also features the perfect Relient K combination of jamming guitars and live piano melodies that hook you instantly.

2: Drink Up by Train

So. My first and second are nearly complete opposites. While the second place Drink Up is clear and crisp as glass, the first place is muddy and hazed. Drink Up, however, is the perfect party song if you want to sound classy without being a snob to music everyone knows and can sing along with. Also, fun fact, this is the only Train song I like. However, that does not in any way take away from the greatness of this song. Drink Up is ostensibly not a very complex song. Its intro has almost all the instruments and has the chord progression used throughout the whole song. Its drums are uncomplicated and it has a fairly basic chorus vocal. The beauty is in the delivery. The drums perfectly accent the bassline which smashes through a shimmering, nay, soaring guitar chords. Pat Monahan’s chorus is sung with stacotto, yet just enough energy that it begs you to belt it out with him. Drink Up!

1: Heat of the Summer by Young the Giant

The best song on this list may be one of the annoying airplay snubs of all time. This song should have received constant radioplay everywhere in 2018. This song sounds like mugginess feels. Its driving guitar pulls the beat forward. The lyrics from Sameer Gadhia focus in on insecurity during the summer. He makes losing, and then subsequently finding, his car keys interesting. Let that sink in for a minute. This man made losing your car keys fun. The only time the guitar isn’t backing up the vocals is on the bridge where the bass picks up the slack to send the song into a dream sequence before the guitar and drums pull it back to the chorus for one final round. This is a reverb-soaked jam that focuses in on the tight jams that Young the Giant showed on Home of the Strange, but combines them with the reverb-intense guitar lines that is typical of the underrated masterpiece Mirror Master. This song’s music video is another part of it to check out if you like real life and CGI being mixed together in interesting ways.