With June inevitably comes summer music. We’re not just talking about the catchy pop singles you blast on your car radio with the windows rolled down, but also the songs that seem to drift from the speakers during those late-night talks with your friends on somebody’s porch. Washington D.C.’s The Fairline Parkway exists in that dreamy space inhabited by bands such as Yo La Tengo and Grizzly Bear, where slide guitars mingle with the occasional horn section. If you know exactly what we’re talking about, The Fairline Parkway’s new album, A Memory of Open Spaces, should be your summer soundtrack.

The Fairline Parkway — which consists of multi-instrumentalists Zachary Okun and Raj Gadhia as well as Ben Licciardi, Krista Sharp, Elmer Sharp and friends — has a familiar sound. Vocalist Gadhia at times resembles Sebadoh‘s Lou Barlow or Sam Beam of Iron & Wine, half-whispering every word. The songs are superbly composed and produced, which might be the album’s biggest problem, if you can call it a “problem.” The lyrics are overshadowed by the wonderful performances. Little pieces of the songs remain with you long after the album has ended, like the way an electric guitar squeals midway through “A Given Day” or the solitary trumpet, reminiscent of the sorely missed Beulah, that begs for attention on “Robbed Blind”. My favorite track, “Nowhere to Be”, creeps along like the bastard child of a Yo La Tengo instrumental and some forgotten Folk Implosion B-side. It’s satisfyingly sinister when compared with the rest of the songs, which are typically more upbeat.

Having missed The Fairline Parkway’s first record, we can’t say whether the band’s sophomore effort goes above and beyond their previous recording. But A Memory of Open Spaces is the type of album that makes us want to go back and hear what we’ve been missing.

The Fairline Parkway will be throwing a CD release party this Sunday, June 15 at the Rock and Roll Hotel with Grand Archives and Sera Cahoone. Tickets are $12 and doors open at 8 p.m.