Sounds of Spring
photo found on Pinterest
Whoohoo! It is finally that time where the warmer weather starts to make its appearance and the flowers start to bloom to bring us out of the dreary mood winter can occasionally lead to. Now, I am not trying to dog on winter or anything, there are certainly aspects I love about each season, but I was made for warmer weather and the recent sunshine has made my soul happy.
If you have been reading my posts for a while, you may have noticed that there is sometimes certain music that I listen to pretty seasonal. For winter I like a lot of singer-songwriter stuff, jazz, and just overall more somber music. But now that spring is here, I am starting to listen to more of the types of songs that really put me in such a refreshing mood. So today I wanted to simply share with you some of the sounds that I frequent during spring and see if any others have certain genres they listen to seasonally. Just to clarify, I listen to most music year round but there just happens to be certain times a year where specific genres or vibes just hit different. So let’s dig in!
The first genre that is heavy in my song rotation for spring is Folk/Americana. For example, bands like Mandolin Orange, The Stray Birds, The Civil Wars, First Aid Kit, and The Wood Brothers. All of these groups are similar in genre but each have their own little tidbits about them to add a bit of uniqueness amongst the others, so I consider these options to be a great variety when it comes to listening to folk music. As for why I really enjoy this genre during spring, I have a few guesses. For starters, folk music just overall is uplifting but not too uplifting like the way that EDM can be. It is more of a soft but uplifting vibe. Folk music is also one of the best genres to play while riding around old country roads, especially on a sunny day as all the wildflowers have started to make their appearance. I know that sounds a bit cheesy but trust me, it really is a mood booster. Another reason is that these groups and their songs are so refreshing during spring is that they force me to have a moment to sit back and really reflect on my growth as a person. The vibe is somewhat of a refreshing feeling of “going back to your roots” for lack of a better phrase. Although, that part may just be because I grew up in a small town and spent quite a bit of time out in the country, but it makes sense to me.
If you are wanting to go cruise around with your sunroof back and check out all the wildflowers that have started to pop up, here are some song suggestions from the previous groups I mentioned to get you started: Wildfire by Mandolin Orange, Calvary by Mandolin Orange, Dream in Blue by The Stray Birds, Barton Hollow by The Civil Wars, From This Valley by The Civil Wars, Emmylou by First Aid Kit, The Lion’s Roar by First Aid Kit, Wolf by First Aid Kit, Luckiest Man by The Wood Brothers, and Keep Me Around by The Wood Brothers.
The next genre I frequent during the spring is what I would consider soft rock/70s rock. I am fully aware that 70s rock is a huge umbrella of all different types but don’t worry, I will explain. While there are so many individuals and groups that fit this genre, a few of my go-to bands/artists would be The Allman Brothers, The Eagles, Van Morrison, Steely Dan, and Loggins & Messina. Similar to the folk music I previously mentioned, these types of tunes are perfect for simply cruising around and just enjoying the ride and scenery. However, something else about these types of soft rock songs is how they help set the perfect mood to sit around on a porch at night with friends while laughing and sharing stories. One thing about me, once the weather gets warm, I love to just porch sit with some of my favorite people. In my opinion, this type of genre just goes hand in hand with the longer days that spring brings us in order to gear up for a summer full of memories. These types of songs also provide me with a sweet nostalgic feeling due to my parents being big fans of this type of music, and boy am I a sucker for nostalgia.
If you are like me and also love a good evening sitting on a porch with friends, here are some song suggestions for this genre: Blue Sky by The Allman Brothers Band, Ramblin’ Man by The Allman Brother Band, Peaceful Easy Feeling by The Eagles, Take It To The Limit by The Eagles, Days Like This by Van Morrison, Moondance by Van Morrison, Reelin’ In The Years by Steely Dan, Do It Again by Steely Dan, Nobody But You by Loggins & Messina, and of course Danny’s Song by Loggins & Messina.
I am fully aware that I may just be a bit weird in the fact that I listen to certain genres pretty heavy depending on the season but if it’s not just me, please share what spring sounds like for you? What are you favorite tunes to blast while enjoying your favorite spring activities? I know at least for us Texans, this past winter was pretty brutal so I feel extra grateful to feel that sunshine hitting my skin again as I spend more time outside.
Cheers to good music and a new season of growth!
