As September rolls around, so does the urge to listen to new music in the fall season.
With the start of the new academic year and the temperature beginning to drop, the upbeat summer songs get stored away for next season. Slower music and albums come back in rotation to accompany the fall and winter months.
A study conducted by psychologist Terry Pettijohn researched how college students in the Northeastern United States and the Southeastern United States listen to music in various seasons. The research found that both sets of college students reported favoring blues, jazz, classical, and folk music in the fall and winter months. They also reported preferring rap/hip-hop, soul/funk, and dance/electronic music during the summer.
Here are ten of the albums I will have on rotation this fall:
Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers
Punisher is a classic fall album that I believe is already on everyone’s fall music rotation. How could it not be associated with the fall when a song named “Halloween” is on the record? Bridgers herself has become akin to fall, as her album visuals have incorporated both ghosts and skeletons. You can’t go wrong with this album. It’s a great record to listen to when relaxing, walking to class, or studying. Some of my favorite tracks are “Garden Song”, “Saviour Complex”, and “Moon Song”.
Preachers Daughter by Ethel Cain
As soon as the temperature hits 60 degrees, the opening note of “A House In Nebraska” can be heard through my AirPods. Preacher’s Daughter is an emotionally devastating album written with beautiful lyrical storytelling. It tells the story of the character Ethel Cain running away from home in search of love and her trials, tribulations, and heartbreak along the way. Some of my favorite tracks are “Sun Bleached Flies”, “Thoroughfare”, and “Strangers”. The instrumentals of this album work to create a soundscape creating emptiness and solitude, which pair perfectly with the fall season.
Grace by Jeff Buckley
In my opinion, Grace is one of the best albums of all time, and many critics agree. The album is full of ballads and emotional lyrics. This album is a perfect mix of folk and blues with rock. Despite the powerful instrumentals and vocals, there is a kind of eeriness and slightly haunting undertone to the album. Some of my favorite tracks are “Lover”, “You Should Have Come Over”, “Lilac Wine”, and “Last Goodbye”.
Either/Or by Elliott Smith
The Elliott Smith songs saved on my Spotify have been dying to defrost and make their way back onto my rotating playlists. Smith has such defining vocals with a distinct melancholy sound throughout his discography. While any Smith album is good to listen to in the fall, I love listening to Either/Or because of its simple instrumentals, making it an easy listen. I feel that this album sounds like when the leaves start to change colors to orange and red. Some of my favorite tracks are “Ballad of Big Nothing”, “Angeles”, and “Say Yes”.
Manning Fireworks by MJ Lenderman
This recent release by MJ Lenderman has received lots of praise, and it is one of my favorite albums released recently. MJ Lenderman, the guitarist in the band Wednesday has made a name for himself as a talented singer-songwriter in recent years, and Manning Fireworks is evidence of this. Lenderman has such a distinct voice, which meshes well with his indie rock and country-esque instrumentals. My favorites on the album are “She’s Leaving You”, “Wristwatch”, and “Bark At The Moon” (yes, incredibly long outro included).
Norman Fucking Rockwell! by Lana Del Rey
There is a bit of a debate on whether NFR is a summer or fall album, but I have always felt more drawn to it in the fall. I associate NFR with the transition between summer and fall, slowly easing into the emotions and change of pace associated with the fall. Lana Del Rey is one of those artists who has music that I can listen to in any season, but NFR has been the Lana album I listen to in the fall the most. This soft rock album incorporates Lana’s signature refined poetic lyricism, and in my opinion, some of her best. My favorite tracks on this album are “Venice Bitch”, “How to disappear”, and “hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have — but I have it”.
And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow by Weyes Blood
From Weyes Blood’s soft vocals to the whimsical sound of the instrumentals throughout, And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow is a perfect fall album. There’s a kind of mystical sound to Weyes Blood’s music, and this album feels like you’re magically being transported to a dream-state-like universe. Some of my favorite tracks on the album are “Grapevine”, “God Turn Me Into a Flower”, and “Twin Flame”.
Surrender by Maggie Rogers
After a summer of listening to Don’t Forget Me, Maggie Rogers’ recently released third studio album, I’m excited to go back to listening to Surrender this fall. Rogers wrote and worked on Surrender while enrolled at Harvard Divinity School in 2022. This album is both playful and powerful. Songs like “Want Want” are more danceable, while “I’ve Got a Friend” is soft and melancholic. This album is perfect for those days in late fall when the temperature rises for a day or two, reminiscent of late summer days. Some of my favorite tracks on this record are “That’s Where I Am”, “Symphony”, and “Horses”.
Being Funny In A Foreign Language by The 1975
The 1975 have always been part of the autumnal vibe discussion. Ever since 2014, the moment a chill is in the air, everyone on the internet seems to put on “Robbers”. Now, “About You” seems to be stepping in to do that part. Musically, Being Funny In A Foreign Language doesn’t inherently sound like a fall album. Many fans associate it with the fall because the album was released in October 2022; with the band going on US tours in the fall of both 2022 and 2023. My favorites on this album are “The 1975”, “Part of The Band”, and “Happiness”.
Sling by Clairo
I’ve been listening to Clairo’s third album, Charm, a lot this summer. However, Sling is my all-time favorite album to listen to in the fall. Clairo’s use of unique instruments like the oboe and clarinet gives the album a distinct, cozy, indie-folk sound. Clairo has discussed how Sling was a pivotal moment for her to slow down in life and immerse herself in nature and solitude in Upstate New York to write the album. My favorite tracks on this album are “Harbor”, “Wade”, and “Management”.
