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It's October; leaves are turning orange, red, and yellow, lattes are turning pumpkin-spicy, and hot dogs and burgers are being replaced by stews and short ribs. We're entering autumn, or 'fall', which is what you might call it if you're not trying to sound artsy. One of my favorite parts of a change in seasons is listening to some new music that reminds me of the season, and autumn is no exception; for the perfect fall playlist, we want albums with the right amount of fuzz, a mix of melancholy and happy, and just a little bit of cabin-fever-inspired-mania, and also just good vibes! So, without further ado, here are 5 albums that meet (and go beyond) that criteria.
(All photos are obtained under creative commons, credits at bottom)
Flower Boy by Tyler, the Creator
Yes, I know this technically is not the title. No, I will not use the official title; 99% of people just call it 'Flower Boy', so 'Flower Boy' it shall be called.
Some of you might be smugly thinking, "Thomas, that's a spring album! It has spring vibes; just look at the flowers and bees!" that's partially true. From an objective standpoint, though, autumn and spring are essentially mirrored versions of the same season; I mean, look at the oranges and yellows on that album cover.
Not only do the visual aesthetics work for both albums, but the music is what gives me such autumn vibes; the songs have a great mix of fuzzy, happy, and melancholic vibes, and it works for all the different elements of your average autumn; starting new relationships ("See You Again, Glitter"), have a lot of schoolwork ("Boredom"), and just kind of hang out and experience the nice weather and colors; my personal favorite song for this mood is "Where This Flower Blooms," which mixes both lofi and even elements of classical music together for a funky, low-key, and ultimately cozy fall jam.
Little Dark Age by MGMT
Now, it's true this album's legacy might be a little... interesting. Many people online love to misinterpret the meaning of this album, specifically the self-titled song "Little Dark Age," which has been used ad nauseam.
However, despite this, the album has a lot of songs that encapsulate fall vibes, much like Flower Boy, though instead of focusing on pure vibes, "Little Dark Age" also focuses on social commentary that is reminiscent of fall; "She Works Out Too Much" represents problems with the modern dating scene (relevant to the whole "cuffing season" phenomenon), "Little Dark Age" is political (elections in November), and "When You Die" and "Me and Micheal" just have fall vibes.
In Utero by Nirvana
Grunge is just a perfect fit for autumn; flannel, jeans, fuzzy and distorted music (but also acoustic guitars sometimes)... grunge is great for the season, and In Utero is better.
It has a perfect mix of high-energy and low-key songs; something like "Very Ape" is good for trying to get your midterms done on time, but when you're done, and you wanna curl up with a book and a blanket, you can put on "Marigold" or "Pennyroyal Tea" and vibe.
"In Utero" has a mix of warmth, melancholy, and a hint of apathy that makes it perfect for the fall season.
Gorillaz by, well, Gorillaz
Gorillaz is a band for all seasons; off vibes alone, let alone lyricism, they cover spring ("The Now Now"), summer ("Song Machine," "Plastic Beach"), and autumn; while "Demon Days" also has a lot of great fall bangers, including the aptly named "November Has Come" featuring the legendary MF DOOM, and "The Fall" is quite literally called "The Fall", I just like their debut album's fall vibes so much more.
There are many things that make the self-titled album the best for autumn; there's a little Halloween campiness, exemplified by things like the "Clint Eastwood" video, which features zombies and graveyards, but also some genuine low-key coziness that is perfect for fall, with "Sound Check (Gravity)" and "New Genius (Brother)" being the 2 songs that hit this the hardest for me, especially the latter; there's something about that vocal sample that gives me autumn energy. There's also a wide variety of different emotions in songs here; it's just a good album in general. Songs like "5/4" and "Rock the House" aren't really seasonal; they're just bangers.
In The Court of the Crimson King by King Crimson
King Crimson's genre-defining jazz-fusion-rock was a once-in-a-generation phenomenon. That phenomenon should be a part of your autumn.
Autumn, at least for me (and some other people who I've seen comment on this online), presents us with some pretty big character arcs; whether you need study music for a massive academic comeback before midterms ("21st Century Schizoid Man"), a song to have a breakdown to after said midterms ("Epitaph"), or simply just enjoying a hot drink ("I Talk to the Wind"), there's something for every part of your autumn journey here.
All in all, seasonal music is what appeals to you: the things that have the vibes you're looking for, and have the most personal meaning to you. So, I guess that makes this whole thing pretty redundant; nevertheless, I hope my rankings could give you a place to start when it comes to building your autumn playlist.
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