Whether your midterms were stressful and fruitless, the American election’s unpredictable results shocked and disappointed you, or you just can’t seem to shake the brutal, creeping cold, hibernating with a book and a somber playlist just might feel like the right thing to do. If this is the path you choose, here is a list of songs as angry and disillusioned as you are, while still being ambient and memorable. When you listen to this list, remember that you are not alone. Enjoy.
Playlist Available on Apple Music
“Me and Your Mama” by Childish Gambino:
The featured song in Gambino’s brand new album Awaken, My Love! will send you to an entirely alternate plane of existence. Angry, passionate and unapologetically loud, Gambino’s despondency is oddly infectious.
For Fans of: Kendrick Lamar, Alabama Shakes
“No Woman” by Whitney
This Dad-Rock folk ballad feels comfortable, like an old sweater or a pair of slippers. Quiet and consistent, Whitney’s folksy road-trip tune is America for a new generation. Unlike Simon and Garfunkel, Whitney is running with their eyes shut, motivated by fear rather than a yearning for reinvention. The band, signed to independent label Secretly Canadian, uses the wavering falsetto of their lead in a way that sends a shiver up the spine and inspires sepia-toned images of the falling leaves.
For Fans of: Bon Iver’s “For Emma, Forever Ago”
“33 ‘GOD’” by Bon Iver
The border where music stops being music and starts being art is a frontier not often explored by top-billing artists. Bon Iver gracefully dances this line throughout his entire album, 22, a Million, but most specifically in his featured track, “33 ‘GOD’.” Sickeningly personal and quietly inventive, Bon Iver’s song is a patchwork of alien sound, humanized by its scattered randomness. Somehow, the song simultaneously takes on the qualities of love song and audio experiment, gracefully combining poetic verses with personal anecdote in a way that only Bon Iver could.
For Fans of: Kanye West, Mount Eerie
“Between Two Mysteries” by Mount Eerie
Quiet and creeping, Mount Eerie’s David Lynch tribute song is the most ambient track on this list. An oft-forgotten B-Side on Mount Eerie’s most highly anticipated album, Wind’s Poem, “Between Two Mysteries” is dark and orchestral, utilizing the catchy synth loop of the Twin Peaks theme to build a heavily layered track with snare, marimba and tymany parts that could remind a listener of heavy rain or something slightly more ominous.
For Fans of: The sound of a train on a track or the sound of rain on a soundstage
“Home” by Common (feat.Bilal)
Intelligent, pointed and full of brilliantly catchy samples, “Home” is Common’s newest politically-pointed song. Consistent and smooth, the song features just a few jarring breaks in baseline that are reminiscent of early electronica.
For Fans of: Kendrick Lamar, Wax Tailor
“Don’t Wanna Fight” by Alabama Shakes
A modern classic, this soulful, funk masterpiece is easy to move to. Most importantly, its catchy baseline and simple lyrics make it incredibly easy to scream along to.
For Fans of: Ryan Adams, The Black Keys
“Gold” by Kiiara
There is one thing that sets this song apart from all the whiny, white-girl-pop-cheese that seems so popular right now: Kiiara uses the stuttering, fragmented digital noise that has infiltrated pop music to create an entirely new category of digital instrument. Her use of chopped vocals adds a never-before-heard dimension to her jerky-electro sound.
For Fans of: Grimes, Halsey
“Retrograde” by James Blake
James Blake’s quiet, humming anthem bears no actual clear meaning. Like any piece of art with no clear direction or intention, the song takes on any meaning ascribed to it. Blake’s soulful lyrics contrast excellently with the snappy pop snare that carries the tune from start to finish.
For Fans of: Mount Eerie, Bon Iver
Bonus Tracks:
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“Part One- Hey, No Pressure” by Ray LaMontagne
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“Sober” by Childish Gambino
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“Nikes Frank” by Ocean
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“Blessings” by Chance the Rapper
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“Give It To Me” by HOMESHAKE