It’s getting to that point in the school year where you walk out of your 4:00 — 5:40 P.M. class, the sun has already set, and you have a long, cold walk back to your dorm.
Daylight savings time is yet another reminder that it’s not summer anymore and that the school year is kicking into high gear. This transition is always noticeable and in your face, so to counter that, I really focus on the type of music and media that I’m consuming. If I were to listen to Louder Than Bombs by The Smiths, for example, I know it would impact my mood and overall vibe for the night. Therefore, I created a playlist of music that gives me more positive energy for the darker, fall-winter months. Feel free to listen to my recommendations or create your own mix!
- After EP 2 – After 2025Â
This relatively new LA-based pop duo, After, has been one of my latest obsessions, and this EP is one of my favorites. They have a very unique aesthetic and sound, often reminiscent of 2000s futurism and similar styles. From their backing instrumentals to their website, they fully embrace this, which makes it a listening experience. My favorite songs from this EP include: “Deep Diving”, a dreamy pop song about starting new things, their newest single “Outbound”, and the final song on the EP, “Close your eyes”. After reading some of the Genius Q&As for “Outbound”, the lead singer, Justine Dorsey, said she “We kind of wanted to make a song where it sounded like a Dawson’s Creek end credit song. Like a really sparkly Michelle Branch/Hilary Duff kind of production. Those literally make everyone happy.” This is a perfect description of what their music gives off.Â
- Deadbeat – Tame Impala 2025Â
I’ve been a Tame Impala fan for over 7 years now, and Kevin is one of my favorite artists of all time. I know that his most recent album, Deadbeat, has received negative reviews due to a noticeable genre shift toward house. I’ve really liked this album, and although I haven’t saved every single track, a full listen-through is enjoyable. My top three songs from it are “Piece of Heaven”, “Obsolete”, and “See You On Monday (You’re Lost)”. Through this album, he offers listeners a much more unique and different sound that I hope will be listened to in the future and rated differently. Â
How can you not love Sade? The soul & R&B band, named after its lead singer, offers a smooth and sophisticated feel throughout its music. Stronger Than Pride provides such a jazzy, summery, suave vibe to the band’s aesthetic, especially with hits such as “Paradise”, which is one of my personal favorites. “Nothing Can Come Between Us” gives off a similar feeling of a funky, beachy night. Lastly, through its use of piano, guitar, and slow melody, “Clean Heart” is so relaxing and personally underrated on the album.
- Details – Frou Frou 2002Â
If you’ve been enjoying Imogen Heap’s latest TikTok-viral hits off of Speak For Yourself, then I would highly recommend taking a listen to this album and other work by Frou Frou. Details gives off a very similar energy, with Heap’s soft vocals and electronic instrumentals. You may have heard one of my favorites on Details, “Let Go”. “Must Be Dreaming” is extremely reminiscent of Speak For Yourself and After’s self-titled EP that I previously mentioned. “Shh” is the longest song off the album at over 5:30, but if you give it a listen, you won’t regret its subtle instrumentals and vocal backtracks. If you can’t tell, I’ve been really into 2000s electronic indie music lately…
I can’t mention my love for 2000s electronic indie-pop music without mentioning a quintessential 2009 album, Manners by Passion Pit. Through the descriptive lyrics and strong, bright instrumentals, Passion Pit delivers a great summer album, one that I can always fall back on to brighten my mood when I need it. You’ve probably heard “Sleepyhead” on TikTok, which surprisingly samples an Irish folk song, “ÓrĂł Mo BháidĂn,” and features a children’s choir on some of the vocals. “Sleepyhead” is one of my favorite songs of all time, with its upbeat nature and the nostalgia that it brings me. “Seaweed Song” offers slightly slower lyrics and tempo, but still gives the spring-in-your-step, summery vibes on your cold walk home from class. “Little Secrets”, the second song on the album, is also one of my favorites.Â
Thank you for reading through my most recent music faves for a darker fall-winter walk to boost your mood! If you decide to listen to a song or two, please feel more than free to talk to me about it at the next HCIC event! Music is one of my favorite things to talk about and make new friends over.Â