Five Essential Autumn Albums of the Past 15 Years
Start writing a post
Entertainment

Five Essential Autumn Albums of the Past 15 Years

Providing the soundtrack to the cooler days

851
Five Essential Autumn Albums of the Past 15 Years
Wallpaper Zone

I always thought that Autumn was the most interesting season. It gets colder, school starts back up, and all of the girls you followed on Instagram because you thought they were hot in high school but now you understand their shallowness won't be made up for by their physical attraction are incessantly posting pictures of them apple picking (sorry for the male-normative--and now heteronormative-- joke, but it was too poignant to pass up.) Despite all that, Autumn strangely works. It might be the change, as it's the first time since February where it gets colder again. It might be some auxiliary pleasures, like the aesthetic, football, or Oscar season starting up. But I think, on a grander scale, it's a return to form. The chill makes people more focused, and things get more deep, more layered, and more cool. And with that horrible joke, here are five essential albums to listen to in Autumn.


Sung Tongs- Animal Collective

Released: 2004

One of the best albums of Animal Collective's earlier, more experimental work is an acoustic set of energetic pop songs wrapped under the blanket of crisp production and wispy vocal layerings. The sung scales on "Leaf House" feels like the first day you need to put on a jacket, while "Who Could Win A Rabbit" is a dancy song that only feels right being played indoors. There's also a strong collegiate bond here, as "Visiting Friends", the 12 minute instrumental acoustic epic, emanates the right mix of excitement and nostalgia as you drive two hours to visit your friend in another college. "College", a 1 minute piece of noise that sounds like all of the scraps of The Beach Boys' cut songs fit together, mixed in a blender, and poured in a dixie cup is consisting lyrically of "You don't have to go to college." Now that we're back inside, it's time to get intimate and weird again.

Best Track: "We Tigers"


Illinois- Sufjan Stevens

Released: 2005

While Summer is better accompanied with a more stripped down, basic feel, Autumn needs more layering, both in clothing and musically. Illinois, Sufjan Stevens' 22 song masterpiece, does that. The horns in "Come on! Feel the Illinoise!", the strings in "They Are Night Zombies!!", and the piano on "Chicago" are just a few of many highlights in this grandiose masterpiece that mix in just so well with the nuanced beauty of Autumn.

Best Track: "The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us!"



In Rainbows- Radiohead

Released: 2007

After their experimental run (Kid A, Amnesiac, Hail To The Thief), Radiohead started the third act of their career with a surprise album that was the most accessible since OK Computer. Johnny Greenwood's selective and cautious approach to the electric guitar gives the album the feel of a coffee shop on a cold day, with the arpeggios on "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi", the barren chords on "House of Cards", and the sparky guitar solos on "Jigsaw Falling Into Place." Excellent album to put on in the background of your dorm room, coffee shop, or a walk in the park.

Best Track: "Reckoner"


Vampire Weekend- Vampire Weekend

Released: 2008

Sort of the antithesis to "Sung Tongs", Vampire Weekend's eponymous debut has the right in the center of collegiate grandeur accompanied by a sweltering sound. The afropop influences of "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" and "The Kids Don't Stand A Chance" remind you of walking past the campus lawn to the sounds of the djembe, and the hurried sense of "Campus" makes you urgently need to get to class.

Best Track: "Oxford Comma"


I Love You, Honeybear- Father John Misty

Released: 2015

Just the title alone has remnants of fall feelings. Josh Tillman's second album under the pseudonym Father John Misty is a grand orchestration of songs. Don't be fooled by the instrumentation; there's still a lot of fun to be had because it's not quite winter yet. Tracks like "Bored in the USA" and "The Ideal Husband" are black humor at its best. There's also some great storytelling as well, especially with the track "The Night Josh Tillman Came To Our Apt." Think of this as the deceptively smart fall movie that comes out after blockbuster season.

Best Track: "Holy Sh*t"

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

55572
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

35825
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

957837
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

186171
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments