Like other people, I love seasonal activities, and music is no exception. Some albums fit a quintessential seasonal experience such as laying by the pool or resting beside the fire. Let’s take a look at some albums that seem tailor made for the seasons of the year.
Spring: Chemtrails over the Country Club – Lana del Rey
If you want to understand teenage girls today, listen to Lana del Rey. From “Not All Who Wander are Lost” and “Yosemite” to “Tulsa Jesus Freak,” this album allows you to go on a spring break road trip with Lana, an artist who embraces her own version of Americana. “Chemtrails over the Country Club” feels like a walk through a field of flowers, and “Wild at Heart” welcomes the wilderness that comes after the winter ice thaws.
Summer: Eat a Peach – The Allman Brothers Band
Picture this: a Sunday afternoon, a cloudless blue sky, a car with the A/C turned off with the windows rolled down, and the song “Blue Sky” blaring from the speakers. From the band’s Macon roots to the summer fruit pictured on the cover, this iconic Southern rock album captures a sweltering Georgia summer like no other. “Stand Back” and “One Way Out” are absolute jams, and “Melissa” is a masterpiece that embraces the ups and downs of life, even during the freedom of summer.
Fall: Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs – Derek and the Dominoes
Full of songs about heartbreak, this album is fitting for autumn, the season of decay. Blues and rock combine with Eric Clapton’s raw songwriting to create an absolute wonder of an album. Clapton’s guitar wizardry is also on full display, particularly on “Layla” and “Why does Love Got to be so Sad.” My personal favorite tracks are “Bell Bottom Blues” and “Nobody Knows you when you’re Down and Out,” songs that capture the seasonal malaise that hits many of us around late October.
Winter: For Emma, Forever Ago – Bon Iver
Bon Iver’s debut album is a slightly depressing and gray winter afternoon at home. Even the cover art, with its leafless trees and cloudy windowpane, gives you a melancholy feeling. The sparse lyrics, barren instrumentals, and natural imagery on the opening track “Flume,” create a feeling of despondency that pervades the album. “For Emma” and “Skinny Love” are standout tracks that embrace the rawness of requited love.
I hope that these albums help you embrace all of the little moments and sensations that come with each season of the year.
