Music: Five Chilled Out Summer Tunes

Mellow tunes for a lazy summer's day...

Garrett Borns

As summer approaches, this week I feature a round-up of five songs which are perfect for a lazy relaxing summer's afternoon...

1) B.O.R.N.S. - 10,000 Emerald Pools

Within about the first five seconds of 10,000 Emerald Pools, I realised that this is the sort of tune which transforms your mood completely and makes you feel totally happy with the world.  And as the song progresses it just gets better and better, and to me it somehow sounded nostalgic, yet also fresh and exciting.  Garrett Borns' dress sense has a hippie retro look, and the music also captures the feel of an era from days gone by.  You can purchase 10,000 Emerald Pools from iTunes or listen to it below on Soundcloud:



And if you love the tune, then it's also worth checking out an acoustic studio performance on Youtube:
10,000 Emerald Pools (Acoustic Version)

2) Little May - Boardwalks

Boardwalks is a beautiful, understated but powerful song from Sydney based indie folk band, Little May.  It starts off soothing and laidback, then just as you settle into a haze of relaxing snugness it picks up the tempo towards the very end for a final mood lift.

In their own words, "Boardwalks is haunting and humble, and is a candid introduction to the band..."  That's an accurate description, but I would say they're being humble themselves, because my own description of Boardwalks would add words such as, 'beautiful', 'uplifting' and 'brilliant'.

Boardwalks is another tune which makes everything right with the world, and you can buy the track from Bandcamp, or listen to it below:



Check out Little May's website:
Little May website

3) First Aid Kit - Master Pretender

Master Pretender is from First Aid Kit's excellent third album, 'Stay Gold' and this was a tune I had on repeat when I first heard it.  Klara and Johanna Söderberg's voices complement the warmth of the music perfectly, and it's another tune with that mellow chilled out summer vibe.  First Aid Kit are from Sweden, but their music and this song in particular has a country music feel to it, although having said that, their music has a broad appeal which attracts fans from beyond that genre.

Although not released as a single, First Aid Kit produced a cool animated video to accompany the tune.  The video expertly complements the tranquil vibe of the song, and you can watch it below:



Purchase Master Pretender by First Aid Kit on iTunes

4) The Kite String Tangle & Dustin Tebbutt - Illuminate

Illuminate is another beautiful track and similar to 10,000 Emerald Pools, it's another mood-transforming tune which will make all your stresses just float away.  The start is fairly chilled out and low key, then the energy kicks in midway through the song as the full power of the tune is released.  Illuminate to me very much conjures up images of a key emotional scene in a movie about life and relationships, and it would be the perfect choice to feature on a Hollywood or indie movie soundtrack.



Purchase Illuminate by The Kite String Tangle & Dustin Tebbutt on iTunes

5) Angus And Julia Stone - Mango Tree

I love so many of Angus And Julia Stone's songs, but Mango Tree is one of my favourites, and like much of their music it has a lovely lazy summer's day feel to it.  There's a tender calming presence about the song, and it's a song I could listen to over and over again.  The video fits the laidback summer sound perfectly, and you can check it out below:



Purchase Mango Tree by Angus & Julia Stone on iTunes

If anyone else has any favourite mellow summer tunes of their own, then feel free to leave a recommendation in the comments below.

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