Winter holidays are over and the semester has begun in a full flurry. While everyone adjusts to the new semester and bitter cold, a good way to settle into this transition is with a perfect playlist to set the mood — add some hot chocolate and you’re all set. Everyone’s gonna have an album that just screams “WINTER!” This week’s Staff Recs: Best Albums for Winter.
“Project 11” by Jorja Smith
Guru Ramanathan, Arts Editor
This stunning EP by rising star Jorja Smith was released three years ago, but it still strikes a special chord within me anytime I hear it. Smith, who possesses the voice of an angel, sings straight into my soul and refuses to leave. Her voice is intoxicating, the lyrics are stirring and there’s something simultaneously somber and emotionally charged about her style. Sometimes the weather will have an effect on my mood and work drive, and winter generally has me a little more down than usual, but I turn to music to either abstractly deal with how I’m feeling or to just pump me up. I go to Smith more so for the former. Her music, particularly “Project 11,” leaves me cold but wanting to do more, perfectly complementing my general feelings in the winter — freezing inside and out, but still on the grind. “So Lonely” and “Imperfect Circle” are particular favorites, and I distinctly remember having the latter as a go-to repeat song for the past two winters.
“Emotion” by Carly Rae Jepsen
Alex Cullina, Books & Theater Editor
As the temperature edges toward sub-zero, with the sun still setting at what feels like 4 p.m., I’m sure everyone could use a bit of cheering up. Look no further than my go-to listen for when I’m feeling down — Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Emotion.” Not long after her 2012 earworm “Call Me Maybe” dominated the airwaves — and the charts — for months, her public profile fell precipitously, and commentators dubbed her a one-hit wonder. But Jepsen burst back onto the scene with “Emotion,” a glittery, synthy, ‘80s-inspired work with an unapologetic pop sensibility. The saxophone riff at the beginning of “Run Away with Me,” the record’s opener, will get you on your feet in no time. Even “I Really Like You,” the closest track sonically to “Call Me Maybe” on the album, is still good, clean fun. And when it comes to “Boy Problems” — who can’t relate?
“For Emma, Forever Ago” by Bon Iver
Nicole Rosenthal, Music Editor
This may be considered a classic winter album — especially for fans of indie rock — and for a good reason. There is something so haunting and isolated about Justin Vernon’s falsetto over icy acoustic guitar tones, that listeners can’t help but picture the singer-songwriter in a desolate cabin in the woods during the composition of the record.
From the first muted chords of opener “Flume,” the listener understands the melancholic nature of Vernon’s self-imposed isolation. “I am my mother’s only one, it’s enough,” Vernon sings. He croons on the chorus, convincingly defeated, yet not quite sorrowful. Instead, he invokes feelings of beauty in loneliness and self-sufficiency. He reflects on a harsh past but is content in the present.
The album continues through nine tracks of somber pianos, scaled-back guitars and minimalistic percussion. From the confessional “Skinny Love” to the ballad “Blindsided” to the bittersweet “Re:Stacks,” “For Emma Forever Ago” is as nipping and relentless as the polar vortex. However, it is also honest, heartfelt and captures a story of self-perseverance.
“Chet Baker Sings” by Chet Baker
Claire Fishman, Film/TV Editor
In the dead of winter, it’s easy to want to stay in bed snuggled up next to your beau. After all, it is cuffing season. But in the absence of a significant other, the next best thing besides watching “When Harry Met Sally” for the fifth time is listening to Chet Baker’s “Chet Baker Sings.” Because what you may lack in love, you can always make up for in vicarious heartbreak. What’s better, the album can be easily mistaken for hipster, coffeehouse jazz, so you can get away with playing it at almost any occasion under the guise of easy listening music without anyone noticing the irony. Like I said, it’s perfect for cuffing season. Some album highlights include “The Thrill Is Gone,” “I Fall In Love Too Easily” and “There Will Never Be Another You.” So sit back, relax and enjoy the sultry, haunted vocals of Chet Baker on your next cold Sunday afternoon.
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