Illustration Credit: Mattea Shuen
Ten songs you need in your playlist this fall
Zoe Zusman, Contributor
I don’t know about you, but every time a new season comes around, I need to make a new playlist to immerse myself in it fully. It’s like having my own soundtrack as I walk around campus and the city; it makes it so cute and quaint. Especially in a season like fall, where you’re still reminiscing over summer, but that fresh crisp air along with the changing of the leaves that fall beneath your feet gets you excited for the cold weather.
When I originally pitched my idea for the perfect fall playlist, the exact words I gave were to imagine this: New York City, When Harry Met Sally, studying at a cute indie cafe. Now think that mixed with a little Gilmore Girls, small town in Vermont where the leaves are changing colour and falling — opposing ideas, sure, but that is exactly what this playlist evokes. It’s warm, cozy, a little jazzy, and has lots of fun instrumentals. It will get you into fall and keep you excited for the next few months!
I think the first song is obvious: it’s the perfect mix of everything I just said and evokes a nostalgic feeling. “There She Goes” by The La’s just has a warm atmosphere to it. I can’t exactly explain it, but when I hear it, it’s like I’m walking around a cute small town and am about to go to a pumpkin patch. Also, I’m pretty sure this song is in Gilmore Girls, so there’s an extra plus!
There are 3 songs on this playlist that I think need to go together: “Coming Up Easy,” “Candy,” and “Growing Up Beside You,” all from Paolo Nutini’s album Sunny Side Up (2009). I discovered it after hearing “Candy” at a cafe a few weeks ago and personally think this whole album is amazing. The very old-timey instrumental with the slower, more somber tempo creates this jazzy and folk-like timbre. I’ve realized that when it comes to fall, I love a pure instrumental song with lots of acoustic instruments; it just feels all types of warm to me.
The more upbeat songs in this playlist also have a more city vibe to them — tying the NYC aspect back into the playlist. “Cemetery Gates” by The Smiths and “People in the Front Row” by Melanie both have a joyous fall tone that goes perfectly with the center of the season. I especially love the wind instruments in Melanie’s song because it adds this whimsical mysticism to the song.
Opposing that, “Halah” by Mazzy Star and “Femme Fatale” by The Velvet Underground have a calming autumn feel to them. Fall is very nostalgic to me; I can’t exactly place it, but it’s a time for reflecting and winding down. Again, the instrumentals in both these pieces — mainly a guitar and tambourine — are great.
Finally, to close out this collection, we have “Linger” by The Cranberries. I always play this song at night, and it just gets me feeling very cozy on my walk home. It’s also perfect because fall is the season of relationships… and this is such a cute song to express love. There are so many other songs I would have loved to put on this playlist that give the same energy, but I hope at least one or two of these songs spoke to you and are additions to your new playlists.
Playlist Order:
1. “There She Goes” by The La’s
2. “Coming Up Easy” by Paolo Nutini
3. “Summer Came Early” by Exploded View
4. “Cemetery Gates” by The Smiths
5. “People in the Front Row” by Melanie
6. “Halah” by Mazzy Star
7. “Femme Fatale” by The Velvet Underground and Nico
8. “Candy” by Paolo Nutini
9. “Growing up Beside You” by Paolo Nutini
10. “Linger” by The Cranberries
Link to Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2IaLqaJC4mejovvbZBGjUV?si=7edb95f02212464f.
