#as far as i can remember it was cringey 2012 bands

[on-the-shelves]

on my shelf: soundtrack to my first year of uni - winter

In a week I start my second year of university, so now is a pretty good time for me to reflect back on what made up the soundtrack to that strange and stressful first year.

I live about 55km away from my university, which means I have to commute every day. My journey can take up to two hours! So I’ve had plenty of time to listen to music.

Commute music is simultaneously music for a bad mood, since commuting is mostly quite mind-numbing. So here’s what my first year of university sounded like:

Winter

Watsky: x Infinity (2016) and Nothing Like The First Time (2012) as well as Invisible Inc.: Invisible Inc. (2007)

George Watsky raps. I don’t generally like rap. But I do like his music. He does it melodically, and he’s witty at times. His rhythms are interesting. “x Infinity” is my favourite of the three because of how honest Watsky is in these songs. It’s his first album to be distributed globally on a big scale (I bought it in my town’s multimedia store that sells CDs next to washing machines and TVs!) and in my opinion his best so far, lyrically at least. It’s uplifting at times, it’s serious and talking about important issues without being cringey the next (”Stick To Your Guns”) and then gets back to some good old silliness (”Going Down” which is a lot more like what’s on “Nothing Like The First Time”). The Invisible Inc. album I love because of the instrumentation. There are saxophones! 

The Killers: Hot Fuss (2004) and Sam’s Town (2006)

“Sam’s Town” is an album I keep coming back to after having forgotten about it for a couple of months. It’s just so good. The melodies are extremely memorable, the whole album as a whole is a unit that paints a detailed picture of this town, that you get a glimpse of in the artwork, without actually mentioning a lot of details. And Hot Fuss also just has really good songs. 

Bry: Bry (2016)

I found out about Bry when he still called himself BriBry on YouTube (and everywhere else). I don’t even really remember where or when I first heard of him but I think it might’ve been in 2012 through Ben Cook’s series “Becoming YouTube”. Bry was mostly a YouTuber back then who also released music (that being the main goal obviously). I regularly started watching his videos when he made a channel with his wife, Candice. That channel also documented the ups and downs of creating this here album. Thankfully, it turned out to be Amazing and twenty one pilots basically helped him finally get it released. What makes it so good? Pure honesty and great melodies. It’s perfect for sitting on the train or bus on a dark, rainy day and looking out at the city or fields passing by, especially the song “Adventure Time”. Those first few notes make me think of two specific moments, both in the rain. He does like to call it “sad indie music”. It’s not even that sad to be honest.

Colony House: When I Was Younger (2014)

Colony House was the opening band for Walk The Moon when I saw them on 5 March 2016 and they absolutely blew me away. First of all, I had never before seen a drummer sit at the side of the stage instead of the back. Secondly, they played really good, not at all cheesy, rock’n’roll. It just gave me a good feeling. So I bought the album at their merch stand and a year later I started listening to it a lot. Obviously, the melodies and music is great but the lyrics, too! Often, opening bands (that I don’t know) have disappointed me with their mediocre lyrics. But Colony House obviously care which makes me so happy. The album’s about growing up and changing and learning to cope with that. Their Christian beliefs come through a little here and there as well, but in an absolutely non-cheesy way (which makes me, as a Christian, feel, well, safe, I guess). Winter is a good time for contemplation and Bry and Colony House’s lyrics are great for that.

Bombay Bicycle Club: I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose (2009)

I picked this album up at a flea market, literally just because I had heard the band’s name somewhere and the album title had me intrigued. This could have gone south very easily but luckily the opposite happened. It did take me a few listens to understand the vibe of the music, and how they build melodies, but when it clicked I loved it. This is an album that I listen to  when I don’t want to be very contemplative but just want something interesting to listen to.

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I feel like all of these albums have a similar vibe to them: somewhat contemplative, rather dark sounds. Careful, when they’re uplifting, not euphorious. Very winter-y.