Top 5 spring albums
By: Timothy Coffman, Columnist
Photo courtesy of Anton Corbijn
With spring break being right around the corner, you’re going to need some music to get you into the spirit of the season. Spring albums help put you in a laid-back vibe as everything outside starts getting warmer. This could be through the band’s ease of recording or the laid-back nature of the songs therein. Here are some picks for ideal spring albums to enjoy throughout spring break.
- Blurryface (Twenty One Pilots)- TOP have just released their latest album “Trench” this past year, but this record really has a springtime quality, with its breezy singles like “Tear in My Heart” and “Stressed Out.” But this album also runs the gamut with emotional songs like the album closer “Goner” along with darker compositions like “Doubt” and the album opener “Heavydirtysoul.”
- Joshua Tree (U2)- This pick is a throwback to the glory days of the 80s-pop landscape. While it’s easy to spot the dated production techniques, frontman Bono’s voice absolutely soars across these tunes, including acoustic cuts like “Red Hill Mining Town” and effects-laden pastiches like the arena anthem “Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.”
- Nimrod (Green Day)– This band was not necessarily known for their laid-back material when they recorded this record back in 1997. But after two prior albums of doing pure pop-punk, “Nimrod” shows the band experimenting with different sounds and getting weirdly awesome in the process. While songs like “Uptight” and “Nice Guys Finish Last” display Green Day’s strengths, the band touches on many genres like screamo (“Take Back”), classic rock (“Redundant”), instrumental (“Last Ride In”) and graduation fodder (“Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)”).
- There is Nothing Left To Lose (Foo Fighters)- After a troubled recording process with their previous album and losing two band members while on tour, Dave Grohl and company regrouped at his house in Virginia and made an album of chill rock music. While the album does have its fair share of harsh moments such as album opener “Stacked Actors,” much of the album brings a care-free attitude to anyone within earshot. You can tell that the band are just having fun in the studio while recording these tracks, evident in the smash hit “Learn to Fly” along with great album cuts like “Next Year” and the talk-box showcase “Generator.”
- Murmur (R.E.M)– This album helped to invent the term “college rock” amongst the musical mainstream. This album never veers to far off the rails, but that does not necessarily detract from the album’s momentum. These songs have some of the most impassioned vocals from Michael Stipe and Peter Buck’s guitars are mixed just right to cascade across your eardrums with precision and tenderness. Songs like “Laughing” and the trance-like “Perfect Circle” are ideal for your spring playlist, along with the album’s main rocker “Radio Free Europe.” If you’re looking for an album that’ll define your spring break, this album is a pretty safe bet.
