Weekend LISTening: 5 August Albums To Beat The Summer Doldrums

The sweltering heat reminds us that summer's nowhere near over, but many critics and promoters have already turned their attention toward new music to be released this fall. September and October have always been a great time for new music, with college campuses filling back up and folks returning from summer trips. But August tends to be a bit of a dead zone for new releases.

So does it mean anything special when an album comes out in the relative doldrums of the late summer? Maybe it's a sign that the artist wants their record to stand out in the not-so-crowded release schedule — to be able to soak in without as much competition for listeners' ears. In these five albums coming out this August, artists find themselves making changes to their sound and, indeed, standing out from the crowd.