Is it just me, or has the weather this past week been awfully grim? One of the best ways to change your mood is new music, of course. You have two options, not including movie soundtracks that make you feel like a superhero. Do you want to be pepped up or do you want something more mellow?
“Night Visions” Imagine Dragons (2012)
If you prefer your rainy-day music to be energy filled, look no further than Imagine Dragon’s “Night Visions.” You may know their first single “It’s Time” as covered by Darren Criss on the season premiere on “Glee,” but their album, and pretty much any songs off their EPs, are worth listening to on repeat.
Imagine Dragons does a good job of balancing happy energy (“Tiptoe,” “It’s Time,” “Underdog” and “On Top of the World”) with slightly less happy, but no less passionate and energetic songs (“Every Night,” “Amsterdam” and “Demons”). Some songs even have the ability to make you want to stop washing dishes and jam out at the sink while pretending you’re on stage (“Radioactive”, “Bleeding Out”). Although my love of “Glee” might have introduced me to this band, I am very glad to have discovered them. I won’t lie; I listened to them for a week straight. And I am still not tired of the songs.
“My Head Is An Animal” Of Monsters And Men (2011)
If, maybe, you want to bask in the calm of the lack of sun and the slow patter of rain on your window without the tears that Mumford & Sons will bring (another week, maybe), look no further than Of Monsters And Men.
Unlike Imagine Dragons, Of Monsters and Men only has one song I would call energetic, with the probability of me dancing around instead of doing my homework as a measure. “Little Talks” hasn’t hit top-40 stations yet, which is really a loss. The rest of the album stays soft-spoken, and it’s relaxing to listen to as you sip tea or do homework while waiting out a storm. If my memory serves me correctly, only “Love Love Love” could qualify as legitimately sad, but, even then, it’s one of my favorites. The rest, even the more upbeat songs like “King and Lionheart,” are still calming.
I hope your week is sunnier than the weather!