As the brightly hued foliage begins to fall in layers on the landscape, we’ve started shuffling our sweaters to the front of the closet and closing our windows at night. In autmn, we make the most of the remaining tepid days, finding camaraderie on hiking trails, beside bonfires, in Halloween costumes, and at Thanksgiving tables. Exemplified by Nick Drake and Neil Young, this musical season is a harvest of beautiful decay, overgrown fields, and beards — an appreciation for a summer gone by and the winds of change charting new courses for us all. Here are 12 transcendent albums for autumn in New England.
Sing-along classics for apple picking and leaf peeping:
Eskimeaux, “O.K.”
Bring an acoustic guitar and find a secluded spot in the long autumn grass, or roll the car windows down on your way there. The cool air and autumn views have always nurtured the inseparable connection between song, friends, and ideas. With courage from bourbon and cider, our voices rise together, balancing out the different ranges and talents. When the words are lost, look to those around you and find your place in time.
The best sing-along albums are simple, dynamic, and emotionally accessible. Eskimeaux’s instant classic, “O.K.,” is this year’s bedroom-pop update to the traditions set in Cat Stevens’ “Tea For the Tillerman” and Neutral Milk Hotel’s “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea.” Gabrielle Smith’s beautifully guileless songwriting can be whispered to yourself, but should be belted out from the mountaintops.
Suitable replacements
Father John Misty, “I Love You, Honeybear” — The ex-Fleet Foxes’ drummer writes piano folk with a snide hilarity, but his satire is a biting twist on socially conscious lyrics.
Titus Andronicus, “A Most Lamentable Tragedy” — With its infectious passion, Patrick Stickles’ punk opera of the year requires a cast of friends to sing the anthems right.
For the last motorcycle ride of the season:
The Black Angels, “Passover”
In autumn, we ride to escape the realization that summer is gone and another cycle of the calendar is behind us. Always aware of how time gets away, we commit our extra minutes to the open road, and when the leaves are a brilliant blur, the sensory overload takes us far away. While the roar of the engine provides the soundtrack, for some, additional music can turn a ride into a journey.
Whether you’re on a bike or not, The Black Angels’ transformative psychedelic rock is a vehicle for liberation. The fuzzed-out, droning riffs of “Passover” provide a powerful repetition fitting for their rugged anthems: “The trees can’t grow without the sun in their eyes and we can’t live if we’re too afraid to die.”
Suitable replacements
Exploding Hearts, “Guitar Romantic” — Their ’70s-inspired melodic punk seemed out of place in the early 2000s, but their debut record and tragic end are instant legend.
Television, “Marquee Moon” — The art punk pioneers’ bright guitar leads and innovative vocals made their debut one of the most influential records of the 1970s.
For Halloween:
Roky Erickson and the Aliens, “Evil One”
On the last day of October, we pay homage to the dead by cloaking ourselves in the supernatural and engaging with superstitions. And yet, behind the costumes, horror flicks, and baskets of treats, we also celebrate a fear that can only come from the living. It’s fitting that we’re at our liveliest during the most creative holiday season with the most raucous rituals.
“Evil One” is a garage-rock trip into Erickson’s psyche, with sometimes frightening results. Erickson’s ingenious songs, full of demons, ghosts, and creatures with atom brains, were all too real for him then. Today, they remain in this largely unheralded horror-rock album. While he’s healthier now, Erickson still hasn’t gotten his due.
Suitable replacements
Gravediggaz, “Six Feet Deep” — With a cast including legendary producers Prince Paul as the Undertaker and the RZA as the RZArector, Gravediggaz have no equal in horror rap.
Siouxsie and the Banshees, “Juju” — The acclaimed post-punk and proto-goth group’s darkest album showcases avant-garde melody and unsettling discordance.
For gathering and giving thanks:
Chris Bell, “I Am the Cosmos”
Colder weather brings people together, and by late November there’s plenty of it. We fill tables of all sizes with food, drink, and friendship to celebrate the harvest of a year gone by. By way of movies, sports, music or stories, our gratitude rekindles the past, marks new memories, and readies us for what’s next.
Though Big Star recorded “Thank You Friends” in 1974, it would take on new meaning when founding member Chris Bell passed away four years later. Bell’s trailblazing solo album was released posthumously in 1992, and his Nick Drake-esque folk and soul-baring rock tales are still a testament to remembrance and appreciation.
Suitable replacements
Belle and Sebastian, “Tigermilk” — Glasgow’s indie-pop heroes craft clever songs of melancholy and growing up.
Death Vessel, “Island Intervals” — Joel Thibodeau’s beaming soprano voice lights up any room, and his mix of dark folk and poppy electronic effects are captivating, even as background music.