Autumn is well and truly here, and my favourite thing to distract me from the bitterly cold wind and gloomy dark evenings (made worse by Daylight Savings) is to listen to autumnal music. The perfect music to accompany November to me is typically slower, acoustic songs, often featuring the guitar and soft, melancholic lyrics. If you’re like me and you are bored of hearing songs such as Sweater Weather and Yellow when Autumn rolls around, then stick around for this list, featuring a beautiful autumnal Spotify playlist at the end.
Stick Season – Noah Kahan
Standout lyrics: “So I thought that if I piled something good on all my bad
That I could cancel out the darkness I inherited from dad.”
Noah Kahan is an American folk-pop artist gaining international popularity at the moment, following the release of his third album, Stick Season, last year. Stick Season is the title track of the album, and is typical of Kahan’s impactful songwriting, detailing the aftermath of a breakup and the turmoil of living in a small town. Not only does the title scream autumnal scenery, but the acoustic guitar and raw, emotional lyrics are perfect for transporting you to the state of Vermont while on your morning commute. I am lucky enough to be seeing him live on tour in Leeds next year, and I’ll be singing along for all you new Noah Kahan converts after having a listen to this song!
Cool About It – boygenius
Standout lyrics: “Once, I took your medication to know what it’s like
And now I have to act like I can’t read your mind.”
boygenius is an American indie group consisting of singer-songwriters Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker. They are known for their honest, confessional lyrics, and Cool About It is a prime example. Complete with a reflective, plucked acoustic guitar, each member takes their turn singing a verse detailing their experiences with an uncommunicative partner and a crumbling relationship. The intense, raw lyricism on display in this song serves as a perfect distraction while on a stuffy train to campus, or as a companion to a chilly autumnal walk. The brilliant thing about listening to boygenius is that if you run out of songs, you can scroll through their individual discographies, and I can assure you that their personal discographies are, if anything, even more emotionally devastating than their collaborations!
Like Real People Do – Hozier
Standout lyrics: “Honey just put your sweet lips on my lips
We should just kiss like real people do”
Hozier is an Irish folk-rock singer who is known for his masterful manipulation of literary themes and open political stances, advocating for social justice. Like Real People Do is an intimate track off his debut, self-titled album, and features a simple acoustic guitar accompaniment and natural imagery to describe the dawn of a new relationship. Putting aside all unknown pasts and secrets, Hozier encourages his lover to feel human and alive with him. The softness and intimacy of this song reminds me of the beauty of autumnal scenery. I was beyond privileged to hear this song live at Alexandra Palace in July- and trust me when I say, it wasn’t the only song I bawled at.
So My Darling (Acoustic) – Rachel Chinouriri
Standout lyrics: “And my heart beats
Stuck in a daze of our thoughts
And watching me grow to be new
I hope you love me too”
Rachel Chinouriri is a British Indie-pop singer whose music has become popular through social media apps such as TikTok- and is set to be releasing her debut album next year. Her music features delicate vocals and often focuses on themes like young love and feeling out of place with your surroundings. So My Darling is a sweet, tender track exploring the everlasting affection she feels for her lover. This song is a wonderful reminder of warmth and joy to cheer you up when it is dark and cold outside.
Me and My Husband – Mitski
Standout lyrics: “And I am the idiot with the painted face
In the corner, taking up space
But when he walks in, I am loved, I am loved”
Mitski is an American Indie-Rock artist who is known for her heart-wrenching, raw lyrics, often describing her experiences of being an Asian-American woman. Me and My Husband is a track off her fifth album, Be the Cowboy, and is an upbeat song depicting the loneliness and skewed self-worth of a suburban housewife. This song might not scream Autumn to you, I just associate this song so strongly with Autumn because I listened to it religiously in the October of my first year of uni. But when I hear this song, I am instantly transported to pumpkins, Halloween costumes, and cold autumn air.
Evermore – Taylor Swift and Bon Iver
Standout lyrics: “And I was catching my breath
Staring out an open window
Catching my death”
Taylor Swift is a pop superstar known for her songwriting and musical versatility. Evermore is the title track off her ninth album-which is a sister album to her Grammy winning album, Folklore. Evermore is a slow, melancholic song featuring a repetitive almost hypnotic piano motif and pained, confessional lyrics. The bridge however takes on a conversational form when Bon Iver joins in, revealing the perspective of the partner in the broken relationship. I love Evermore because the song dwells on heartbreak but ends on a hopeful note when Swift changes the end line of the chorus from “this pain would be…” to “wouldn’t be for evermore”. I think this song is a good reminder of the light at the end of the tunnel when experiencing loss, hurt etc, and is helpful for remembering that Spring will bloom eventually after Winter.
Sparks – Coldplay
Standout lyrics: “But I promise you this
I’ll always look out for you”
Coldplay are a British pop-rock band known for their piano-driven anthems that can unite crowds across the world in both joy and sorrow. Sparks is a song from their debut album, Parachutes, and is a slow, intimate track confessing the narrator’s continuous love for their partner despite the mistakes they have made. The warmth of the song, despite its melancholic lyrics, provides a listening experience that is perfect for healing a recent heartbreak, or accompanying you on a frosty autumn day.
Half The World Away – Oasis
Standout lyrics: “And when I leave this island
I’ll book myself into a soul asylum”
Oasis are an iconic Brit-pop band that are known for their catchy melodies, guitar accompaniment, and at times nonsensical lyrics. Half The World Away is a prime example of all three; a track off their compilation album The Masterplan, it is a melancholic song filled to the brim with a nostalgia for something somewhat unattainable. The song details the feeling of wanting to move away from your hometown to pursue your dreams, and resonates particularly well in Autumn, when it sometimes feels like you’re waiting for the sun to come back out again.
The Drugs Don’t Work – The Verve
Standout lyrics: “Now the drugs don’t work
They just make you worse but I know I’ll see your face again”
The Verve are a British indie-rock band, most famous for their smash-hit Bitter Sweet Symphony, and alternative anthemic rock. The Drugs Don’t Work is, in my opinion, one of the most profound, impactful songs of the 20th century, and depicts the anguish of watching your father deteriorating from his battle with cancer. The song’s chorus is heart-wrenching, stating that while the singer knows the pain his dad is in, and his fatal prognosis, he’s insistent that he’ll see him again. This unwavering belief that a loved one will never leave you makes this song both tear-jerking and comforting, and is a reminder of the hope that prevails through darkness.
Rhiannon – Fleetwood Mac
Standout lyrics: “Rhiannon rings like a bell through the night
And wouldn’t you love to love her?”
Fleetwood Mac is a British-American rock band, renowned for their messy relationships, brilliantly raw, at times spiteful lyrics, and catchy guitar riffs. Rhiannon is a song off of their Grammy-winning album, Rumours, and draws on themes of magic and witchcraft to create a truly whimsical and hypnotising track. The song is a perfect tune to get you hyped for a venture out into the cold of November, kicking through crunchy leaves, channelling Stevie Nicks, as you go.
As a treat, in the Spotify playlist linked below, I have included some additional songs that I think fit the requirements for Autumnal music. Please have a listen if you’d like a new soundtrack to your commute to campus tomorrow!