1. 風街ろまん (Kazemachi Roman) by Happy End (1971)
This Japanese concept album is set amidst the sea change Tokyo underwent in preparation for the 1964 Olympics, but the soundscape is heavily indebted to Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. It may be the most Americana album not written by Americans. Happy End’s lineup is just as distinguished as their idols, too: Eiichi Ohtaki, Haroumi Hosono, Shigeru Suzuki, and Takashi Matsumoto could each plead their own case for a spot on the Mount Rushmore of Japanese rock. Hosono’s contributions “風をあつめて” (Gather the Wind) and “夏なんです” (‘Tis the Summer) shine brightest here, with the latter being every bit as folky and autumnal as CSNY’s best work. 風街ろまん is one for the crisp, golden afternoons – with leaves fluttering as acoustic guitars pluck away.
2. The OOZ by King Krule (2017)
Fall ain’t all sunshine and golden afternoons. It will bluster. It will drop cold rain. It will chill you to the bone. On those bleaker days, The OOZ is here to hold you down. Archy Marshall is a jack-of-all-dark-arts here, dealing hazy hip-hop on “Biscuit Town,” bossa nova punk (?) on “Dum Surfer,” and Chet Bakeresque noir-jazz balladry on “Czech One.” Genres may be “mashed” together, but the entire album remains claustrophobic and introspective throughout. It’s a perfect match for autumn’s gloomy moments.
3. going…going…GONE! by hemlocke springs (2023)
Clocking in at 21 minutes, it lives up to its name: “GONE” in a flash. But it leaves you wanting more – to live in its pillowy synthesizers, slick beats, and romantic tales a bit longer. 80s synth pop forms the backbone of this lean record, but there are wafts of Grimes on “gimme all ur love,” INXS on “pos,” and 2000s pop-punk on “enknee1” (a flawless pop song if I’ve ever heard one). If John Hughes were making movies in the 2020s, going…going…GONE would make an apt soundtrack – full of songs designed to raise goosebumps under sweatshirt sleeves.
4. ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH by SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE (2021)
It’s a meticulously crafted sound collage. The layering of samples (some tranquil, some mangled), with acoustic instruments and synthetic noise, invokes a battle of the seasons. Summer’s last gasps emerge from the ether on “ENTERTAINMENT,” and “WAKE UP (IN ROTATION).” For the most part, tough, ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH is a fitting backdrop for what we see outside: the inevitable triumph of winter, and the retreat of humanity indoors, into cyberspace.
5. Veckatimest by Grizzly Bear (2009)
Recorded in the Catskills of upstate New York, Veckatimest is the final boss of autumnal music. Daniel Rossen’s pastoral guitars pluck and strum. Sparse arrangements allow each part to echo into the expanse of cooling sky. Chris Bear’s melodic drumming leave plenty of nooks and crannies for Chris Taylor’s windy harmonies to blow through. This is Grizzly Bear firing on all cylinders – one of the finest records of the 2000s indie rock boom, and necessary listening for me every fall.
Leave a Reply