Summer album review
Five summer favorites
By Nic Longstreet
With the summer coming to a close, welcome back to the Delta Collegiate’s annual summer album review. This year features Gracie Abrams, Noah Kahan, Olivia Rodrigo and more!
Noah Kahan – “The Great Divide”
Alternative Pop/Singer-songwriter
Since blowing up into the mainstream with his 2022 smash album, “Stick Season,” Noah Kahan has been nothing but a mainstay. His emotional vulnerability and guitar-led ballads are what continually draws people in. He spent the summer on his “Great Divide Tour,” hitting major stadiums across the United States.
The album itself has no skips. It dives deep into familial relationships, friendships turned sour and the struggles he’s encountered since becoming a larger-than-life musician. Beginning with the piano driven “End of August,” to the tear-jerking album closer “Dan,” Kahan has makings for an album of the year push. The album does have a longer runtime of an hour and 36 minutes, but Kahan keeps it entertaining the whole way home.
5/5 Great
Olivia Rodrigo – you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love
Pop
Oftentimes, people worry about how an artist is going to consistently produce high-quality albums. Olivia Rodrigo brushes those concerns aside, masterfully presenting a third album that has plenty of charm. The album goes through the stages of a romantic relationship and never feels forced or cringey, from describing the infatuated feeling you get at the beginning of a relationship. This comes through in songs like “stupid song” and “maggots for brains” to heartbreak and regret in songs like “less.” My personal favorite, “cigarette smoke,” delivers as an album closer excellently.
The songwriting reaches a new peak, as you can see the maturity come through in the lyrics. On this album, it’s clear Rodrigo has done some growing. The vocals and production level are upped, with an expansive string addition on “cigarette smoke” that makes the album closer feel just as important as the opener. Rodrigo hasn’t lost any steam, and she’s not slowing down anytime soon.
5/5 Great
Isaiah Rashad – It’s Been Awful
Hip hop
I did a dive into Isaiah Rashad’s music when the rollout for this album started and I had one thought, “why hadn’t I done this sooner?” Balancing real life issues and with a cool attitude, Rashad might be one of rap’s most underrated artists. On “It’s Been Awful,” he lays out what has been plaguing him: family members going to jail, the everyday grind, and the struggles of being an artist. The fun part is that none of it sounds awful, a particular highlight being the now expected and revered SZA collab on the song “BOY IN RED.”
My only issue with this album is that if you zone out, you genuinely could miss the whole album. Isaiah Rashad has a certain style, and he’s good at it, but it can sometimes mean that the album blends together. Still, it’s definitely a cohesive album.
4/5 Good
Phoebe Bridgers – Lost Weekend
Alternative Pop/Indie
Every so often over the past six years I’d tell my friends, “we need Phoebe Bridgers to come back.” I’d check her Instagram to see if there were any new updates, but more often than not, there weren’t. You can imagine my surprise when I heard Phoebe Bridgers was expected to release a new album in 2026, but lo and behold, we have “Lost Weekend”, preceded by the single “Lost Boys.”
If ones expecting down in the dumps, sad Phoebe, they’d get some of that, but there’s less of it than one would expect. Much of the album is spent admiring and appreciating the little things in life. Love song “Bobby” captures infatuation, while “Still Standing” shows Bridgers coming to terms with the loss of her father.
Overall, it’s an enjoyable album, but definitely one for a certain mood.
4/5 Good
Gracie Abrams – Daughter from Hell
Pop
Pop music’s favorite nepo baby returns with her third album, this time diving deeper into the emotional well. There are some highlights which include “Imaginary Friend” and “What If It’s Right” with Marcus Mumford that showcase Abrams’ writing talent.
Unfortunately, some of the songs come off as copy and paste. There’s not too much versatility in the sonic landscape. Gracie still has to grow more, but there’s definitely hope for her. There’s still some music in here that can be enjoyed.
3/5 Okay