5 essential fall albums
get ready to make your fall playlists
I’m back from a week or two hiatus with more music talk! This week is about how I love making seasonal playlists. Each year, I make them throughout the season and get to look back to see what I was listening to at a certain time. There are certain artists and songs I tend to gravitate towards more during certain seasons. Now that it’s officially fall, I’m putting together a list of some of my quintessential fall albums. It’s a mix of classics and some more specific albums that I don’t see on these types of lists as often.
Siouxsie and the Banshees, Juju
Obviously the first choice for this list has to be my favorite album by my favorite goth band. This All Music article says that “if not for John McGeoch's marvelous high-pitched guitars … the album would rank as the band's most gothic release.” There are plenty of songs to get you into the Halloween spirit, including the songs Spellbound and Halloween, with lyrics such as “I wear my silence like a mask and murmur like a ghost.” The song Night Shift has a haunting ring to it, with distortions of the vocals and electrifying guitar. The song, according to the Genius lyric page, is about the Yorkshire Ripper, and who doesn’t love a grim true crime reference? This UDiscoverMusic article explains how this album specifically was instrumental in shaping the future of gothic rock, post-punk, and even rock in general. Going beyond just “fall vibes,” it’s a great album to listen to for understanding the trajectory of the genre. It hits even better as the skies begin to darken and the weather starts to pack a chilly embrace. Just try not to over-listen to it.
Alexandra Savior, Belladonna of Sadness
This album reminds me of riding the bus at night after an away volleyball game in high school. This Gigwise article describes Savior’s vibe as “feminist angst with a horror film feel” and explains how she collaborated with Alex Turner (of Arctic Monkeys and The Last Shadow Puppets) on every song on the album. Turner does a great job of influencing the music to make the album a masterpiece without overstepping on Savior so she can retain her own voice and style. It’s not obvious that he worked on it, but you can definitely pick up on it once you know about the collaboration. I instantly loved this album when I heard it, and I return to it a lot. If you need more convincing, this Independent article put the album on their 30 best albums of 2017, placing at number 30 on the list that contained Lana del Rey, SZA, King Krule, and more. Her second album, The Archer, is also terrific, but this album fits in better with fall. If you haven’t checked her out before, you won’t be disappointed.
The Smiths, The Queen is Dead
The Smiths is one of the bands that hits best for me in the fall and winter. I think that the often melancholy vocals are perfect for the season. It feels wrong listening to the album on a sunny day, as if listening to the album requires the gray and cool weather of the English band’s country. It’s probably my favorite album by The Smiths. This Clash music article mentions that the album “is widely cited by critics as The Smiths’ best studio album, even if its creators don’t think so.” It has some of their best songs, such as the energetic title track, the dejected “I Know It’s Over,” and the whimsical “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out.” I also tend to see The Smiths often on other people’s fall playlists, so they’re certainly a fall-favorite. You can obviously choose any of their albums, but this Rolling Stones article ranking all of the Smith's songs puts 2 songs off this album in their top 3 category. All in all, you can’t go wrong with The Smiths in the fall, especially their album The Queen is Dead.
Broadcast, Work and Non Work
This album is strange in a good way. It feels like the type of music that an alien would use to lure you on to their ship. Or a song that would play in an old Twilight Zone episode during some sort of transformation. This 1997 album has an entrancing way of combining electronic and synth elements with string instruments. It falls somewhere in the dreampop/alternative/whimsigothic triangle, where each label for its genre doesn’t feel like it does the album enough justice. It definitely has a haunted, dilapidated-old-mansion, twin peaks, moody-introspective-girl vibe to it. Plus, the orange cover is very fall. This WKNC article explains how the album teleports you to another dimension and how, when the song has been downtempo for a bit, “the beat returns to take us away into the night and ends the song perfectly.” “The Book Lovers” was the first song I loved from the album and made me listen to the rest. I also love “The World Backwards” and “Message From Home.” The whole album does a good job of establishing the dreamy, subdued atmosphere and holding you there for the whole 36 minutes and 12 seconds. It makes a great soundtrack for a cold dusk where you’re exploring the old buildings in your neighborhood or at home with an old gothic book.
Alison’s Halo, Eyedazzler
This 1998 shoegaze album is a hidden treasure. The album is a whopping 1hr 31 minutes, so there’s a ton of songs to last you all of fall. A blurb on the bandcamp page for the album agrees with my opinion that Alison’s Halo is “Criminally overlooked as one of the best American shoegaze bands of the 90’s.” The album is full of ringing, gritty guitar-driven ballads, complimenting percussion, and quiet vocals that lull you into the thick atmosphere of the album. This Phoenix New Times article explains how the sound has a “punk and post-punk approach” while fitting perfectly into the 90’s shoegaze scene. They also mention how the noisy, distorted, reverbed music is more “melodic rather than 'noise for noise's sake’.” The song Raindrop is probably my favorite, although it’s hard to choose with so many song choices. I just love the “waw-waw” sound from the guitar (it kinda sounds like a WAH-pedal, with a similar, satisfying sound). If you’re trying to find more shoegaze beyond the classic Slowdive/My Bloody Valentine mix, this is a great album to expand your understanding and appreciation for the genre.
That’s all for this post, but let me know if you want more posts like this! Comment your favorite album that you love to listen to in the fall.
Great info really gets you in the mood for Halloween
Absolutely love that broadcast album!