The new semester means a lot more time spent sitting at your desk trying to find the perfect study playlist – or at least it does for me. Whether you like upbeat pop, chill indie or funky electronic music – I’ve got you covered with five albums that won’t fail to impress.
Disclaimer: music taste is obviously super subjective and while I think these albums are all awesome, you totally might not agree. And that’s all good! Hopefully this will at least inspire you to go out and find an album that really hits for you.
Valley MAYBE.
Indie/Pop
Their second album (and bangers from start to finish), Valley knocked it out of the park with this one. If you like that upbeat indie pop energy then this album is worth a listen. They’ve put out a lot of music since this, however, this album remains one of the highlights of their discography. Every song is fantastic and super listenable, and this album has everything indie pop fans could need.
The Shadowboxers The Slow March of Time Flies By.
Funk/Pop
This album. I love it so wholeheartedly and I think everyone should listen through it at least once. Even if you don’t like their funk R&B electronic style it’s hard to deny that all of their songs are masterfully crafted and easy to groove to. When listening through this album you can hear all the work put into it, and it is painfully underappreciated. I will be listening to “Honeymoon” at my wedding, “Nothing Ever Does” will always be my hype-up song and “Highway Roses” will never fail to get me in the groove. If you liked this album they’ve got a bunch of newer releases which are also fantastic (ahem: Novocaine and Melody).
Kali Uchis Isolation.
R&B/Pop
I would be a fool to say I’m the first person who has recommended this album. It’s widely heralded as a masterpiece for good reason – all her songs are smooth and pure magic. Not just that, they’re downright powerful and will make you feel like you can take on the world (which you totally can, FYI).
COIN Dreamland.
Alt/Pop
This album is the ultimate ‘main character moment’ album. I got to see them live a few months ago and it was magical. Hearing ‘Let It All Out (10:05)’ blasted in a smokey room live is one of my top 10 experiences. Every single one of the songs on this album is a masterpiece that necessitates late-night blasting and singing along.
Peach Pit You and Your Friends.
Another Canadian band, Peach Pit started just across the water in Vancouver. Their songs are the perfect chill indie songs to remind you to take a moment to breath and not stress about your assignments. They have that beach day energy that makes you want to take advantage of the last few sunny days of summer.
Hopefully you’ll love one of these albums as much as I do, and if you ever have album recs don’t be shy to share them! I never find as many new songs as when I’m procrastinating my schoolwork, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Happy listening!