It’s been a great summer for music. Taylor Swift is on tour, both the Cobain and the NWA documentary hit theaters, someone finally told off Miley Cyrus and One Direction is going on hiatus. Joy. Although summer isn’t officially over until mid-September, the steady drop in temperature and fading light make it feel like it is almost fall. Before the leaves start to brown and fall, let’s look back at the season and all the great releases that came with it:

1. “Run Away With Me” by Carly Rae Jepsen
Carly Rae Jepsen has gone from that one girl who sang that one sort of creepy song that everyone loved a couple summer ago to a legit pop artist. 2012’s one-hit-wonder has triumphantly returned with possibly one of the best pop albums of the summer. Maybe even of the year. Her new record, E•MO•TION, which was released last month, has already surpassed the popularity of “Call Me Maybe” and her sophomore album, Kiss. It’s no 1989, but it’s shockingly close.

2. “Leave A Trace” by Chvrches
In a recent interview with the Guardian, Martin Doherty of Chvrches told the publication that the band “could have sold 200,000 more albums” if they had “put Lauren [Mayberry] on the cover of every magazine.” However, Chvrches didn’t want to be “that band with the pretty frontwoman” and chose to sell themselves as their full outfit. The issue of female representation has been brought up repeatedly this summer, starting perhaps with Sophy Ziss and Mariel Loveland’s Pixable article that animated all-male acts out of concert posters to highlight the lack of all-female or mixed gender acts. Ironically, the band’s most recent video for “Leave A Trace” only features Mayberry (or are those silhouettes Iain and Martin…?) Either way, it’s an awesome song.

3. “Gold Steps” by Neck Deep
Similarly to Jepsen, Neck Deep released one of the most genre defining records of their era. The band’s sophomore attempt is easily the best pop punk album of the summer and perhaps of the year. Life’s Not Out To Get You is just so good. Even Mark Hoppus agrees:

i told you the deck neep album was good.

— Dad (@markhoppus) August 18, 2015

As of July, the album had officially entered the Top 10 Official UK Charts at number 8. The Welsh band now head triumphantly back to the UK having just finished playing Warped Tour.

4. “HELP” by The Front Bottoms
New Jersey’s folk-y indie rock act The Front Bottoms signed to the once grand powerhouse Fueled By Ramen in June. The label, which still houses bands as popular as Fun. and Paramore, has somewhat faded from conversation. Compared to the grand renaissance FBR experienced in the early aughts, their recent activity dwarfs in size. The union of TFB and FBR is either going to be the triumphant return of the label or the horrific downfall of the band. Luckily, their first release with FBR, “Back on Top”, sounds great so far.

5. “Return to the Moon” by El Vy
Most people know Matt Berninger as the guy with the dad-glasses who fronts The National, one of the most popular acts in indie rock music. He’s appeared on the odd song for bands like Grinderman and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, proving that he also has the voice and songwriting abilities to strike out (sort of) on his own. While he isn’t exactly going solo, Berninger did announce a new project with Menomena/Ramona Falls’ Brent Knopf. El Vy sounds goofier than anything The National ever wrote, but it fits Berninger well.

-Zoe Marquedant