With a high of 60 degrees on Sunday, the citizens of Ann Arbor received a taste of spring and a hope for the return of summer. Soon enough (I promise!)  the sun will be out longer, the temperature will steadily increase and flowers will bloom. Car windows will be rolled down with arms extended and hands grasping, reaching for sweet, summer freedom.

A study by Springer Science and Business Media found that young adults tend to listen to more reflective, complex music during the winter season and more energetic, rhythmic music during the summer season. As we head out of cold, snowy days, students will search for that perfect album to blare from their radios, phones and cars.

And I’ve found it.

Walk the Moon is the creation of lead singer Nicholas Petricca; he started the band in 2008 in Cincinnati, OH. The group went through in-and-out band members until they arrived with their current members: Petricca along with Sean Waugaman, Eli Maiman and Kevin Ray. The band’s name originates from a song by The Police entitled ‘Walking on the Moon”. Their debut album i want! i want! showcased for the first time their biggest hit, “Anna Sun”, and is also on their self-titled album Walk the Moon.

The record Walk the Moon starts out with “Quesadilla”, a headstrong ballad with dancing, synthesized beats, typical for Walk the Moon. This track provides listeners with a jolt of youthful vigor equivalent to a cup of coffee, when played at the correct volume.

“Anna Sun” is an already-discovered gem on Walk the Moon. Named after professors Petricca had at Kenyon College, “Anna Sun” is the pure essence of summer vacation. An ever-present backbeat leads the listener along a five-minute joyride; mentions of firecrackers, summer flings and late-night parades around town all contribute to the track named the song of the summer in 2011 by Esquire.

The rest of the songs have similar dynamics, but different meanings. “Tightrope” is another foot-tapper, similar to “Quesadilla”. “Lisa Baby,” “Next in Line,” “Jenny” and “Shiver Shiver” are all songs detailing young romance, while “Lions” and “Iscariot” have more of a somber tone. The tracks “I Can Lift a Car” and “Fixin’” end the album with a quirky tone.

Walk the Moon has the potential to be the album of the summer. With an upbeat, giddy jive, Walk the Moon does an excellent job in constructing an album that so well represents it’s namesake.