Ten Songs for Autumn

Jeff Lawton // September 7, 2012

Music is often inextricably linked with the seasons. A grey wintery morning calls for the glacial tones of Bon Iver in the same way a bleached sunny afternoon screams for Beach Boys. Although many bands and songs are versatile, a lot of music is time sensitive. I mean, have you ever listened to “School’s Out for Summer” during the first week of September? It doesn’t fly.

Specifically, there is something about autumn that really blends nicely with certain kinds of music. This can probably be attributed to the season’s beauty – the rustic oranges and browns of dead leaves and the golden sun rays of early evenings – as well as its associated comforts (think wool sweaters and hot mugs of coffee). With summer ending and the colours turning, I associate this time of year with feelings of nostalgia and reflection. Often such bittersweet emotions are also woven into the fibers of folk-rock and indie-pop. The strummed acoustics, hushed vocals and light tempos frequently present in these genres can soundtrack September and October better than any other music.

As we are returning to school, the days will get shorter and the nights will grow colder. Here are ten songs to guide you through the fall:

Neil Young – “Unknown Legend”