By The Keystone Newspaper Records to reel in the Fall vibe
By Martin Danek
When I think of autumnal music, I think of string acoustics, echoes and creeping darkness. I tend to be seasonal with my listening habits, so much so that I reserve specific albums that I love for the Fall. So, if you are looking to add alternative, post-punk, ethereal and post-hardcore sounds to your fall playlist, keep reading.
Photo Credit: Martin Danek
The first album is Dummy by Portishead. It’s a trip-hop classic from 1994, full of echoing backbeats, melancholic melodies and haunting vocals. For those who celebrate the spooky season beyond Halloween, the first track on the album, “Mysterons,” immediately puts the listener into the spirit with its theremin and spooky soundscape. “Numb” is another standout. While lyrically brooding with themes of loneliness and isolation, the combination of the organ and breathy vocals make it an essential listen for the season. “Pedestal” is perhaps my favorite song on the album. The bass and drumbeat are reminiscent of branches blowing in the breeze and the theme of lamenting vocals returns in this track.
Another great album to add to your rotation is Leaves Turn Inside You by Unwound. This album leans toward a post-hardcore sound, though it has a lofi atmosphere and lovely guitar melodies as well. The most well-known track is “October All Over,” which definitely helps secure this album as a strong pick with the rest of my spooky selections. I’d like to highlight “Demons Sing Love Songs” and “One Lick Less” as well. “Demons Sing Love Songs” has a bit of a strange yet whimsical vibe, with what feels like twisting shadows in every corner, where toned down electric guitar is joined by a harpsichord, alongside some echoey vocals in the chorus. “One Lick Less,” on the other hand, is a shoegazy track with hazy vocals and droning guitars. And of course, “October All Over,” is the centerpiece of the record, which starts off with a moody guitar lick before the song picks up, provoking tension between hope and melancholy throughout.
Moon Oppose Moon by Unto Ashes is a hidden gem. It’s mostly acoustic and features an almost medieval sound, perfect for Renaissance Faire season: folky, dark and haunting. “Teach Me How To Drown,” the first track, sets the mood with a brooding acoustic guitar followed by a glockenspiel, tambourines and soft female vocals. “Sojourner” is another track on the album that stands out– it’s a more classical instrumental lead by a piano with occasional synths popping up throughout the track. Another great track is “Viper Song,” with its soft male and female duo vocals, delicate acoustic guitar, harpsichord and synth bass, the whole song feels like a cold and ominous wind.
Another album I’d like to highlight is The Great Annihilator by Swans. It is lyrically darker, but remains an alternative classic for any audiophile. Instrumentally it incorporates a lot of acoustic guitar, but also washed out electric guitar, hypnotic chanting vocals, and beating drums. This sound, combined with lyrical themes of insanity, life, death, space and time, almost gives it a sort of folk horror atmosphere. Some standouts include “I Am The Sun,” “She Lives,” “Blood Promise” and “My Buried Child.”
Lastly, Garlands by Cocteau Twins is their debut album from 1982. While just as ethereal as their later work, it is sonically much darker and more gothic. With droning basslines, distorted and echoing guitars and Elisabeth Fraser’s signature drifting vocals that constantly fade from cohesive English, to putting an emphasis on her voice as an instrument rather than trying to make sense. Personally, it’s hard for me to choose a favorite track or even just standouts. However, if I had to choose some that feel the most thematic and eerie, I’d go with “Wax and Wane,” “Blind Dumb Deaf,” “The Hollow Men” and “Grail Overfloweth.”
Photo Credit: Martin Danek
There are plenty more albums I could go on and on about, and some honorable mentions include Seventeen Seconds by The Cure, Tinderbox by Siouxsie and the Banshees, Work and Non Work by Broadcast and A City By the Light Divided by Thursday. For the sake of keeping things short, I’ll hold off on going into detail regarding these. Happy fall, and hopefully these music selections make your playlists a little bit fuller this Autumn.