The eMusic Dozen: The 50 Greatest Summer Albums: 20-11

18 This album will hook you instantly. It is simply intelligent, infectious rock'n'roll music. Though a little droney, this album maintains good dynamism and variety. Songs strangely seem to breeze by... you'll enjoy every moment of it. This album is the most palpable and swallowable of any of Spoon's releases. If you ever found yourself saying, "Well, I like some of their songs, but none of their full albums" (as I often did), you will breathe a sigh of relief that, alas, a worthy complete Spoon album has arrived. 42min2sunrise

An album for all seasons, but especially good with the car windows rolled down. eyetunes

Probably the least nocturnal, most summer-y Spoon album. tristanjay7

16 Just a great summertime record. "Seeing Other People" and "The Stars of Track and Field" have summer written all over them! dontbreatheaword

It's not often anymore that you hear an album that really is a work of art in its own right, as a complete work. But If You're Feeling Sinister is such an album. A unified sound, witty lyrics, beautiful pop melodies. Listen to this album when you're in the right mood, and it will be the most beautiful thing you've ever heard. My favorite tracks: "The Stars of Track and Field," "Seeing Other People," "Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying," "Mayfly." Tyrante

15 Maybe not summery in tone, but epic enough to listen to while lounging on the shore looking out over the ocean. 001F7A02

I found out about this when Merge Records sent me a copy. The first few times I heard it I thought, This is really good, but I didn't quite become obsessed with it until I listened to it three or four times. Then I thought, "This is just amazing." That's the way so many great records are — they sneak up on you. The songs and the performances on this are so powerful. The first one I latched onto was "Crown of Love." It has this immediate emotion that made me listen. And once I knew they could do that, I started listening more closely. I told Win that I really think people are going to buy reissues of this record 20, 30 years from now. Britt Daniel

14 OK, it's hardly summer, and this only came out two weeks ago. But it's great — and I'm going to listen to it all summer. Does that make it a summer album? Probably not, but this one deserves all the praise it can/will get. ruadork

This is not traditional "rock" or pop," but is a collection of music that adds up genuinely to an album of sublime, intimate honesty. I've a feeling my favorite track will change over time, as it did with Alligator. Too soon to decide whether this beats that high water mark, but it's certainly no disappointment. And next time the missus is out... that claret is coming out, and so is Boxer. It may just nudge the title. MickyJ

13 If there's an album more fun to listen to I have yet to hear it. t3hcolin

Unquestionably my favorite album of 2005. A gorgeous pastiche of '60s psychedelia mixed with lush melodies, nutty classical/operatic diversions, electroclash drum machines, and huge pop hooks that stick in your head for days. I've listened to this at least twenty times since downloading it last week and I can't get sick of it. Don't miss it. toddDominey

12 With the exception of "Effigy," Willie and the Poor Boys has the sounds of summer written all over it. Play loud while cruising — if you can afford the gas! 002131EF

We're a traveling band who looks out our back door before going up around the bend. As long as I can see the light, I'll want to have these songs playing, and the light lasts a long time in the summer. Smythe

11 The two opening tracks on Electric Version are two of the greatest power pop moments in recent history; and the perfect soundtrack to any windows-down road-trip. morranimal

Pop is the way to go for summer, and this isn't just pop. It's super pop. 00ADF6D0