The feeling of musical deja vu is difficult to shake.

It surely couldn’t hurt to change things up a little bit.

As derivative as it may be, Many Moons is still a pleasant listen.

As we ease into the halfway point of 2014, it’s time to pause, light up the grill and enjoy the summer, bathing ourselves in the glorious new music that this year has yielded. We are pleased to present a list of albums that we feel have bubbled to the top of the heap. And while there are some significant absences …

[xrr rating=4.25/5]After three full-length albums, the lyric that most succinctly sums up New Jersey band Real Estate’s message can be found on their 2009 debut: “Suburban dogs are in love with their chains.” The group evokes that uniquely suburban phenomenon of having lots of space yet feeling entrapped. The band’s jangly guitars and surf-rock grooves conjure up the terrifying beauty …

[xrr rating=4/5] I despise the beach. I hate the sensation of scalding sand between my toes. I dislike the salty, seaweed-inflected odor that stays with me for days after leaving the sandy shore. Exposure to unadulterated sunlight makes me sneeze. Thus, it takes a small miracle for me to willingly listen to and enjoy a beach-combing, surf-pop inspired record in …