TOPNOTE’s Monthly Picks: July 2026. Image credit: TOPNOTE

‘Heatwave in full effect’...

And as Yazmin Lacey says, ‘...the whole of London’s rolled outside’. We’re bringing you an energised list of singles and albums ready to whack straight onto your summer playlists, with feelgood vibes seeming to be the order of the month.

Check out our July Monthly Picks here.

Sienna Spiro - The Visitor

Sienna Spiro’s first large-scale offering cements her as a rapidly rising name, laying out her wares in a blend of soul, R&B and pop woven together by a treacle-thick voice. ‘Time, You & Me’ sounds like a fully-formed Bond soundtrack submission. Meanwhile, ‘He’s Not My Baby, I’m His’, which explores the mutually morally dubious dynamics in a relationship with a man ‘twice [her] age’, is the most lyrically compelling track on debut album ‘The Visitor’. The deluxe version features an irresistibly captivating rendition of the jazz classic ‘Autumn Leaves’, which was added after its appearance during her recent Montreux Jazz Festival set.

Bare Jams - Full Circle

15-track album ‘Full Circle’ is described by frontman Ollie Coombes as ‘a more mature version of what we started out as’ – referring to the band’s decade of genre-spanning and creatively experimental music. Mix the agility of Jamiroquai’s voice with Ocean Alley’s bass-heavy groove and Fat Freddy’s Drop’s dub-funk fusion… and you’ll get some idea of what to expect from Bare Jams, with ‘Cause & Effect’, ‘Crusher’, and ‘Ivy’ most adept at showcasing the versatility of the six-piece in both sonic and lyrical content.

The Amazons – One Hot July

‘The first proper real life co-written song’ by The Amazons’ lead vocalist Matt Thomson and newly appointed frontwoman Ella McRobb, ‘One Hot July’ couldn’t have asked for a better weather forecast as the backdrop to its release. Thick, hot and heavy as the humid summer air, the track builds in tension and desire before McRobb’s vocals provide the dazzling cloudburst. Released in the build-up to the band’s deluxe edition of ‘21st Century Fiction (Epilogue)’ next month, this track is reintroducing the world to an invigorated rock band.

Yazmin Lacey – Summer Haze

If you’ve been looking for the perfect summer-in-London song… allow TOPNOTE to present it to you. Yazmin Lacey blends the urban harshness of ‘concrete step’ with soft blushes of summer, dragging you straight into a spontaneous dancing courtyard, picnic-in-the-park sips from plastic glasses, and balcony flirtations escaped from stuffy living room parties. Grounded by the delicious bachata drums of Anthony ‘Sweetstix’ Lewis, ‘Summer Haze’ is the epitome of a capital city on holiday.

Jordan Rakei - Enemies

You’d never expect to hear the words ‘all my enemies’ sung with such fondness. There’s a wry smile behind that delivery, a sweetness even, directed at those whom Jordan Rakei knows no longer have the power to affect him. In his own words, ‘Enemies’ ‘has a playful, almost arrogant energy to it, not from bitterness, but from self-confidence.’ The first single from freshly announced album ‘A Safe Place To Be Wild’ is the karmic, floating catharsis of moving on and rising above.

Tricky - Different When It’s Silent

His first full-length release under his own name in six years, Tricky’s 14-track album is a surround-sound journey into the mind of the legendary musician and producer. Bar only two songs, Bristol singer-songwriter Mitch Sanders features prominently across the tracklist, bringing a softer eeriness and an element of light to offset the heavy, dark and dubious palette of ‘Different When It’s Silent’. The dance between vulnerability and withdrawal is best waltzed in ‘Piano’, in which Sanders cuts through murky chords and reverb to paint the mournful image of something slipping through your fingers.

Leon Bridges – Happiness Anytime: Part 1

Four tracks extracted from September’s upcoming album, the first instalment of ‘Happiness Anytime’ is a concise and joyful celebration. Produced alongside J Lloyd-Watson and Lydia Kitto of JUNGLE, Leon Bridges & co. have found a wellspring of good mood music. The EP is led by ‘Light the Way’. With background glasses clinking and voices chirping, it sounds like you’ve wandered into a street party, continuing as you stumble into the softly shuffling ‘Tears of Joy’ through to the sultry slow dance of ‘Your Love Is Electric’ at the end of the night.

FKJ ft. Lucy Parks ‘How Much Does It Take To Shift It All’ single artwork. Image credit: Whiteboard PR

FKJ ft. Lucy Park – How Much Does It Take To Shift It All

The French multi-instrumentalist FKJ yesterday released his next single from forthcoming project ‘Tyber’, a soothing track bedded in twinkling piano and delicate string arrangements. Showing a more sensitive side to the producer’s style, the track is paired with a live session mirrored in peachy hues and organic textured visuals. ‘How Much Does It Take To Shift It All’ features the hypnotic voice of rising British artist Lucy Park (whose own July single ‘OUTLINE’ is our bonus Monthly Pick), with both voices gently folding into each other.

TOPNOTE’s Monthly Picks: July