Callie is back with this week’s playlist. Inspired by the perfect beach day, this playlist is filled with delicious, cheerful, sunshiny tunes that pair perfectly with sunscreen, watermelon, and the ocean in the background.

  1. “West Coast” – Coconut Records. The first few notes of “West Coast” are so delightful and distinctive, once you recognize them, you will smile as soon as they hit your eardrums. Despite the lyrics’ tearful undertones, the melody feels light and airy in the same way that a summer afternoon feels carefree.
  2. “At the Beach” – The Avett Brothers. It would feel almost sinful not to include this song. The guitar strums are almost as charming as the sweet, impossibly hopeful lyricism (“Well, I have got a sister, and she has got a baby with brand new eyes. And her daddy is an engineer, and they just took her to the sea for the first time.” Tell me you didn’t just feel a swelling goodness inside your cobwebbed heart).
  3. “40 Day Dream” – Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. This group made its name with the breakout summer hit “Home,” but their honeyed folk tunes deserve more than one-hit-wonder recognition. “40 Day Dream” begins with a beat that automatically invites your spirit to feel jaunty and content — and this warm feeling of freedom only continues to grow throughout the song.
  4. “Baby” – Devendra Banhart. This fizzy love song was the first single from Devendra Banhart’s album What Will We Be — which Banhart recorded in a wood cabin in a laid-back Northern California town. That anecdote alone should tell you everything you need to know about his vibes.
  5. “If She Wants Me” – Belle & Sebastian. This is simply a spry, feel-good bop that makes happiness sound easy. It ends with lead singer Stuart Murdoch crooning, “All I need is somewhere I feel the grass beneath my feet / A walk on sand / A fire, I can warm my hands / My joy will be complete” — and his radiant conviction makes you feel the same.
  6. “Good Vibrations” – The Beach Boys. Just the first verse of this song paints the picture-perfect summer scene. You see a girl wearing bright colors basking in the glow of the sun, speaking gently and emitting the most aromatic, unpolluted aura. She, like the song itself, gives off the sort of “good vibrations” that everyone wants a piece of.
  7. “Salad Days” – Mac DeMarco. The title “Salad Days” evokes a line from Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, in which the heroine describes her dreamy, lovesick youth. Mac DeMarco may have a reserved twinge to his nostalgia, a certain cynicism, but his breezy vocals and the track’s blithe production create the same youthful feeling.
  8. “California Kids” – Weezer. This song embodies California’s balmy, free, and easy core spirit that Weezer drew on for its newest album. “California Kids” takes their famously tropical vibe from “Island in the Sun” but infuses it with maturity. It has a laid-back sentiment that doesn’t undermine the band’s considerable growth.
  9. “Lost In Japan” – Shawn Mendes. “Lost In Japan” showcases a fun new direction for angel-voiced, angel-faced Shawn Mendes. While we all know that he can carry a damn tune, this track sees him drawing from pop-infused R&B influences like Justin Timberlake and Usher — as well as sultry flavors from producers like Anderson Paak. The result is an infectious, buoyant tune that breathes new life into Shawn’s boyish vocals.
  10. “Wildflowers” – Miley Cyrus. An acoustic Miley Cyrus cover of a Tom Petty classic: what more could a beach playlist need? Her authentic, folksy roots play perfectly into the charming lyrics that evoke the peaceful magic of nature.