Everyone gets to the point where they need a fresh batch of music, or are looking to diversify their music in general. A great way to do this is by listening to albums, which can provide a new artist, a new story, and even a new genre. Albums are a cohesive compilation of songs, which makes them a whole lot of fun to disect and interpret on your own. Theres a couple albums that I have come across that I think everyone should find the time to listen to; ranging from classic rock to rap.
- The Dark Side of the Moon, by Pink Floyd
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Pink Floyd caused a revolution in the way that music itself was made and what it could do in terms of storytelling. In fact, some could say Pink Floyd reinvented what it meant to be a musical piece, at least in mainstream culture. Though the use of psychedelic drugs is definitely frowned upon, the creation of music while on psychedelic drugs is something to be marveled at. The album tells a story through sounds alongside perfectly calibrated guitar rhythms, and it changed the game completely when it comes to concept albums. Instead of lyrics being the main storyteller, the sound is, which means that the sound itself is unique and inventive. Songs like The Great Gig in the Sky are perfect examples of this, with the only ‘lyric’ being a woman singing a sort of hym. The Dark Side of the Moon is the most iconic Pink Floyd album, as it was the first to really blow up. Most fans of the band will tell you this is their favorite album, for both its individuality and iconic cover. Aside from the incredible acoustics, being able to say you have listened to Pink Floyd signifies a pretty cultured musical index, which can be important when it comes to musical discussion. Just as a heads up, the album should be listened to in order and with headphones to gain the full Pink Floyd experience. Also, I’d recommend going into the album completely unaware of the story; It’s pretty fun to listen and come up with your own interpretation.
Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/album/4LH4d3cOWNNsVw41Gqt2kv?si=ErXU52DeRl6X4G6TTBz-Rw
- Twin Fantasy by Car Seat Headrest
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If you are a fan of indie or indie rock, and you don’t know Car Seat Headrest, you are really in for a treat. For the lovers of indie, this album creates a fresh new sound in the genre, with a level of creativity that is really hard to replicate. Even for those who are not lovers of indie, the album provides some real thought provoking lyrics that use repetition to surprisingly strike a chord. The opening song, My Boy starts the album off with a bang, using the repetition I mentioned earlier and heavy drums with a solid ‘beat drop’ (though it’s instrumental). With songs ranging from a minute long to eleven minutes long, there’s always something new to hear each time you listen to the album. It took me a couple listens for it to really creep its way into my heart, but it definitely has a spot, and whenever I feel like my emotions could line up with the album I throw it on and feel something very hard to describe, but it’s definitely something everyone needs to feel. Again, I would recommend listening in order, but it’s up to you.
Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/album/6gDtROOIYa6OQxwhDNkDRM?si=a1zclRWuQD-QgbysZujLrA
- Graduation by Kanye West
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How could one make a list like this and not include Kanye West? Whether you agree with what comes out of his mouth when he’s not making music, Kanye is a musical genius; with the descent into madness to go along with it. If you’ve never had a Kanye phase, Graduation will for sure fling you into one. It touches on heavy concepts while keeping the music itself lighthearted, so the concepts themselves take on a more lighthearted tone. If you need someone to push your shoulders back for you and remind you the hell you are, or if you want something to play at a pool party with the sun setting, Graduation is an appropriate record to throw on the turntable. For the album to go from Flashing Lights, which is virtually a club song, to Everything I am, which is more emotionally charged, without missing a beat, demonstrates some true musical talent.
Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/album/5fPglEDz9YEwRgbLRvhCZy?si=QHC6M0T0SimEkI9LKCe-kA
- Little Dark Age by MGMT
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MGMT, though you may not know by the name, you have probably heard their stuff before. They have made some of the most popular summer songs out there, like Electric Feel and Kids. Now, those songs and even the album they’re on is full of upbeat tunes that have nearly a coming of age feel. The album and those songs blew the hell up when they came out; MGMT did not like that. They wanted to stay a pretentious underground band, because they were those pretentious underground band people, and so to become mainstream was a nightmare for them. In retaliation, they released Little Dark Age, which was (hence the name) a much darker album. It almost sounds like if one were to invert their first album. The reason I say to listen to this instead of their first album is because so many of the songs on the first album sound like Electric Feel and Kids, that there really isn’t a lot to gain after hearing both of those. Little Dark Age, however, has so many new sounds that all have some aspect of eeriness to them. The lightest tune is probably Me and Michael, which has been one of my favorite songs for years, and I think everyone deserves to hear it. Despite the eeriness, however, I am telling you that you will not be able to get enough of Little Dark Age. It’s like they put the addictive drugs (that eventually caused their total downfall) into the music. Truly addicting.
Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/album/7GjVWG39IOj4viyWplJV4H?si=iH15709QQEWBW56S-abfXA
- The Soundtrack to your Favorite Movie
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If you don’t have the soundtrack to your favorite movie on some sort of speed dial, you are doing it wrong! This personalizes your musical repertoire as well as diversifies it, as soundtracks usually have some range. It’s pretty cool to hear a song from the soundtrack playing somewhere totally random and being able to match the scene to the song, providing you with just a sprinkle of euphoria. The soundtrack to your favorite movie can be like your safe space; like a warm blanket on a rainy day. For me, I listened to the Dirty Dancing soundtrack for hours on end, and it has seriously paid off. I now know a bunch of songs from the sixties, and I have my own little connection to each because every song evokes emotion, like any song normally would, but it adds even another layer because there’s a feeling I got from the scene in the movie, as well. It provides you with a sense of inner connection, especially when you feel disconnected to yourself. So listen to the soundtrack from your favorite movie, if not for the music then to give yourself a warm hug.