“Feels Like Summer’s Coming On,” Jimmy Delphs. It’s fast, brash, and though the theme is gothic, the song somehow feels full of sunshine. I’m a Kate Bush fan - I sleep in a Kate Bush T-shirt - so I was happy to see her song “Running Up That Hill” topping the charts over Memorial Day Weekend after its turn on “Stranger Things.” Around that time, I went on a Kate Bush kick and ended up re-listening to another song I’ve always loved: Not the original of “Hounds of Love” - which is on her eponymous 1985 album that also features “Running Up That Hill” - but the cover version by the British band The Futureheads. Soulful without being saccharine, Kendrick is looking to preach his audience out of poverty, and we’re all wealthier for it.
Summer is when we replenish ourselves, and that’s made this a season to blast Kendrick Lamar’s latest sermon from the mount, especially the standout track “Rich Spirit.” A sparse, haunting testament from “the aloof Buddha,” Lamar offers his thoughts on how to live with peace amid a world of chaos. Ever since, whenever I hear “Blue Star,” I think of that description, and nothing so evokes June, July, and August for me: not summer as is, but summer as ought to be. That something is “Blue Star”: rich, relaxed, velvety, almost voluptuous. The sound of something magical and perfect comes wafting your way on a gentle breeze. You step onto the terrace for a breath of air. Many years ago, I heard a friend who was a radio announcer introduce Benny Carter’s “Blue Star.” It’s on his classic 1962 LP, “Further Definitions.” Imagine yourself at an elegant dinner party, my friend said. “Summer Girl” isn’t just a song that suits sunnier weather, it seems to usher clear skies into any space. A ribbon of breath disguised as a saxophone flows through melody into your soul, reminding you how infinite a summer’s day can feel.
Hitting the exact tempo of a leisurely stroll, the crown sisters of alternative easy-breezy bring sunshine to your ears on this “Women In Music: Part III” bonus track.
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