Beach House 3

Ty Dolla $ign raises the bar for the third installment of *Beach House*, a mixtape series that old fans hold in very high esteem. The album carries no shortage of the smirk-inducing, club-ready sex talk he broke with, but also ruminates on fame and its pressures, as well as the frailty of new relationships. At 20 tracks, there\'s plenty of room for friends (the guest list is in the double digits), but they\'re not just tossed-off featured verses. The bouncy and subdued “Stare” featuring Pharrell and Wiz Khalifa might just earn a place in each of their canons.

Ty Dolla $ign’s new album is superbly refined. It leverages his gravelly voice, attention to detail, and willingness to kill his ego.

Julien Baker’s crushingly intimate songs get more breathing room on Turn Out The Lights, Weezer feels caught in an endless summer, and John Maus’ hypnotic Screen Memories is either genius or a joke. These plus Ty Dolla Sign in the week’s notable releases.

This sequel to the hot-shot producer’s 2012 mixtape has its moments, but doesn’t quite reach its potential.