By Ava Bagdasarian
The leaves are finally beginning to turn that yellowish, reddish color that I wait all year for.
The nights creep up earlier and people wander the streets in costume.
In the spirit of, what is in my opinion, the greatest season of the year, here are 5 albums you should listen to this fall!
1. Bear Creek - Brandi Carlile (2012)
This album came out in the spring of fourth grade and I fondly remember coming home from school during the following fall and my mom playing it in the kitchen as my brother and I did our homework. Bear Creek has folk and americana roots, with banjo, guitar, organ, piano, mandolin, violin, and other instruments complimenting Carlile’s incomparable vocals and it very distinctly feels like late September/early October to me. It's a no-skip album for me… all of Brandi’s albums are no-skips for me.
Recommendations: “I’ll Still Be There,” “That Wasn’t Me”
2. Hozier (Expanded Edition) - Hozier (2014)
Everyone went through a Hozier phase when Hozier first dropped “Take Me to Church” in 2013. Some never left that phase… Hozier displays the Irish songwriter’s haunting musical talent and ability to tell a story over the course of 1 hour and 3 minutes. Hozier-Byrne’s voice is chilling and righteous and it compliments the changing of the seasons oh so well. It will continue achieving its place on my October Receiptify as it has since it first came out nearly 10 years ago.
Recommendations: “Work Song,” “Cherry Wine - Live,” “Someone New”
3. MTV Unplugged Unplugged 2.0- Ms. Lauryn Hill (2002)
Regardless of the album, Ms. Lauryn Hill has always been a fall artist for me. From the Miseducation to this live album, something about her voice scratches an itch in my brain. Hill’s comical interjections, commentary, and interactions with the audience are some of my favorite aspects of the live recordings, giving them some form of intimacy and breaking the fourth wall. I’m obsessed!
Favorite Songs: “Just Like Water - Live,” “I Find It Hard to Say (Rebel) - Live”
4. Cardinal (Expanded Edition)- Pinegrove (2016)
There’s nothing that screams mid-semester existential crisis more than Pinegrove, in the best way possible. Cardinal is house parties, walking back from the library at 2 a.m., friendsgivings, cloudy afternoons, bulky sweaters, long conversations with friends that stretch deep into the night, writing midterm papers, and thinking about the future. It is nostalgic and somber, and it emulates the feeling of being an upperclassman recognizing that time is fleeting and trying to savor every last moment. 10/10.
Favorite Song: “Old Friends,” “Aphasia”
5. Notes from the Archive: Recordings 2011-2016- Maggie Rogers (2020)
Maggie Rogers has risen to fame for her pop music, but she has roots in folk and Americana. Notes from the Archives is a collection of folkish songs, co-released with a sister album featuring commentary on each of the tracks. It includes a song featuring Del Water Gap (love him) and a mix of acoustic and electric ballads. While it came out in December, it made its way onto my playlists the following September. The album screams fall and deserves to be in every playlist accordingly.
Favorite Song: “Blood Ballet,” “On the Page,” “New Song”
Honorable mentions:
Punisher - Phoebe Bridgers
Solitude - Billie Holiday
Speaking in Tongues (Deluxe Version) - Talking Heads
Fleet Foxes- Fleet Foxes
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