I personally love autumn. In particular, autumn in Cambridge is very aesthetically pleasing (if that makes sense). This week has been full of colder nights, orange sunsets and appreciating just how cute Cambridge looks in the later months. As we finally move away from this tepid yet never-ending summer, it is a vital time for music: for the creation of new seasonal playlists, and finding your new staple albums and artists to bring you into the winter.

Whether it is some exciting new releases, or just classic or unforgettable albums, Varsity Music has compiled a list of your autumn necessities for 2016.

New Seasonal Releases:

Hamilton Leithauser & Rostam – I Had a Dream That You Were Mine

One of the most unique and interesting albums released this year. Leithauser, former lead singer of The Walkmen, has joined with Rostam Batmanglij, former member and producer of Vampire Weekend. There is something enticingly uninhibited about the whole album. Echoing and dreamy, the rawness of Leithauser’s voice contrasts with the mystical, almost church-like voice of his partner. The thing I love about I Had a Dream That You Were Mine is that it is impossible to classify. It isn’t ‘indie-pop’ or ‘rock’ or any identifiable genre: it is just really good.

Devendra Banhart – Ape in Pink Marble

For cold mornings with hot coffee, this new Devendra Banhart album provides endearing, peaceful, and easy listening. But calling Ape in Pink Marble 'easy listening' is not to say that it isn’t a skillful album, and its complexity is hidden within its modest acoustic nature. In this new folk endeavour, Banhart balances playful lyricism with simpler guitar arrangements. I am personally obsessed with the use of pan flute and xylophone, which complements his dulcet tones perfectly throughout.

Solange – A Seat At The Table

Understated and subtle, but an incredibly moving album. The softness in Solange’s voice creates a level of vulnerability in her lyrics, which discusses a range of social issues including the crisis of racial violence currently across the U.S. The arrangements in the album are unusual, and with jazz undertones it is a quietly fascinating album and something worth taking in its full form for a little reflection.

Albums for an Autumn Vibe:

Mazzy Star – So Tonight That I Might See
To complement the ever-persistent 1990s dress sense of the student body, Mazzy Star’s 1993 album is a perfect addition to your autumn playlists. It is a serene album, but is often eerie at times and is definitely a must-listen for any of your more melancholy or reflective moments this term (picture yourself swaying around your room with the lights down low)…

The Rolling Stones – Between the Buttons

For a classic album to add to this season’s listening, Between the Buttons stands as one of the Rolling Stones’ most popular and critically acclaimed albums. This 1967 album serves as a classic rock album and is a feel-good listen. The album shows the Stones moving away from the raw and unfiltered sounds that first brought them to fame, but this choice ultimately created a new era for the band. It marks the beginning of the Stones’ foray into psychedelic rock – it is upbeat, but you are hit every now and then with moments of striking sentimentality.