What qualifies as “fall” music? Is it an acoustic guitar behind crisp, raw vocals? Is it the comforting warmth you feel against the bitter cold? To many, fall music feels nostalgic yet introspective. While summer embodies a time to let go of your worries and enjoy the warmth and sunny skies, fall is a time of cyclical reflection and an eventual rebirth.
Fall songs are accompanied by a depth of storytelling that showcases this type of reflection — bonus points for any song that includes references to the fall season. Typically in these songs, the accompaniment sits in the background, acting more as an aid to the storytelling; this is rather than the beat or synth acting as the main character and the vocals residing in the background, a pattern typical of summer songs. One must experience “fall” music to understand these key traits. Here are my top three fall albums and songs for 2023, varied in sound and content, and sure to get you in the fall mood.
“Stick Season” by Noah Kahan
You’ve probably heard of Noah Kahan at this point. He’s receiving rightfully deserved and somewhat surprising popularity, given that we live in a time where a five-second TikTok pop sound boosts a song to No. 1 on the charts. I first heard of him last year when a friend sent me “Stick Season,” a song that showcases Kahan’s adept songwriting ability as he weaves together the plot of a harsh New England winter and a heartbroken ex. The album, which bears the same name as the hit song, is an extension of these qualities. The dichotomy of his soft-spoken yet piercing voice helps convey his lyrics and message in a way that keeps the listener drawn to his music. In every song, an acoustic or electric guitar follows his voice, making you feel like you are in the recording booth with him. Perhaps the album to listen to this season, you can’t go wrong with any of the tracks on “Stick Season.”
Best Songs: “Northern Attitude,” “Halloween,” “New Perspective”
“Give Me A Minute” by Lizzy McAlpine
Another artist who exudes fall energy is Lizzy McAlpine. Her music, at its best, is quintessential fall music, checking off every attribute on the list. Her most fall-sounding album is her debut, “Give Me A Minute.” The lyric that encapsulates the album’s compliment to the season is in the song “Where Do I Go?” where she sings, “I’m a breeze on a fall day.” The album delivers the kind of deep thought and storytelling one would expect from an acoustic album, but McAlpine delivers it through a unique alternative, bedroom-pop style. Her voice is gentle, and combined with outtakes and seemingly unedited vocals, she gives the record a homespun feel. “To the Mountains” and “Apple Pie” encapsulate the album, conveying the feeling of solitude and connectedness to oneself. Start with these songs, and let the album give you the chills — or maybe you’ll already have chills because it’s fall in St. Louis.
Best Songs: “To the Mountains,” “Same Boat,” “Apple Pie”
“Woman in Color” by Raye Zaragoza
If you’re looking for something you have probably yet to hear, check out the album “Woman in Color” by folk artist Raye Zaragoza. It is a pure and beautiful album filled with ten deep-cut tracks detailing different aspects of Zaragoza’s life experiences in an eye-catching manner. It feels like one big journal entry for Zaragoza, jumping around various stories and evoking feelings of love and courage. The songs “He Calls Me River” and “Rebel Soul” give that fall feeling and reflection essential to the fall experience. Her style is distinctive, with angelic vocals that are almost haunting yet grounded. An electric guitar is her instrument of choice on the album, matching the effect her voice has on the listener and making the album a largely cohesive one. “Woman in Color” showcases Zaragoza’s strength as a singer/songwriter and proves to any listener that she is one to look out for.
Best Songs: “He Calls Me River,” “Rebel Soul,” “Ghosts of Houston Street”
To complement these albums, here’s a list of fall songs that deserve a listen. Sometimes, all it takes is a song to get you in the fall mood!
“Used Cars” by Bruce Springsteen from “Nebraska”
“Autumn in New York” by Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong from “Ella and Louis Again”
“Friendly Fire” by Holly Humberstone from “The Walls Are Way Too Thin”
“Sweet Pumpkin (feat. Pasquale Grasso)” by Samara Joy from “Linger Awhile”
“All Too Well (Sad Girl Autumn Version)” by Taylor Swift
“I know it won’t work” by Gracie Abrams from “Good Riddance”
“Reaper” by Clairo from “Sling”
“Coming Home” by Leon Bridges from “Coming Home”
“Berlin” by Fenne Lily from “BREACH”
“I Still Miss Someone (Live)” by Johnny Cash from “At Folsom Prison”
“orange show speedway” by Lizzy McApline from “five seconds flat”
“gold rush” by Taylor Swift from “evermore”