The 2021-2022 school year brought me many things, including bad grades, great friends, heartbreak, and amazing music. Here are my 10 favorite albums that have gotten me through sophomore year (in no particular order).

“From 2 to 3” (2022) by Peach Pit

“From 2 to 3” is a great addition to your chill playlists. This album is full of feel-good songs that have sad undertones. It’s a Peach Pit album, so of course it’s good. My favorites are “Last Days of Lonesome,” “2015,” and “Vickie.” 

“Soy Pablo” (2018) by Boy Pablo

Boy Pablo is a great introduction to indie pop, specifically this album. Boy Pablo sounds like if Mustard Service and Joji had a baby. The guitar riffs in “Soy Pablo” are so beachy and dance-able. My personal favorites from this album are “Sick Feeling,” “Losing You,” and “wtf.”

“Stranger in the Alps” (2017) by Phoebe Bridgers

If you ever need to cry your heart out, this is the album to listen to. Honestly I couldn’t describe the emotional weight of this album through words; you really just have to experience it for yourself. The songs are simplistic in nature, which accents the lyrics in a complex way that makes you feel them more. My very favorites are “You Missed My Heart,” “Funeral,” “Scott Street,” and “Demi Moore.” 

“Sun Outside my Window” (2021) by Strawberry Guy

This album sounds like that feeling of happy tiredness when you just woke up from a long nap. The melodies are relaxing, pretty, and dreamlike. Strawberry Guy is categorized as Bedroom Pop, but I think that’s very limiting. It feels more relaxed than most bedroom pop. This album is very good for studying or painting to. My favorites from this album are “Stay in This Moment,” “I’ll Be There,” and “As We Bloom.”

“The Bends” (1995) by Radiohead

This album is good to just play whenever, it’s really versatile; It has a good mix of more upbeat songs and cripplingly sad songs. The guitar in this album is also really crisp and it works perfectly with the other parts of the songs. From this album, I really liked “The Bends,” “Bones,” and “Just.”

“Skinty Fia” (2022) by Fontaines D.C

Fontaines D.C went all out with one; “Skinty Fia” doesn’t have a single bad song. This album is dark and moody with surprisingly hopeful undertones. The whole album has a really complex and developed meaning that I don’t fully understand, but it’s great to listen to. I really enjoyed “The Couple Across The Way,” “Big Shot,” and “Roman Holiday.” 

“Man’s Best Friend” (2021) by Cavetown

The best word for this album is ‘comforting’. All of the songs feel like being wrapped up in a cozy blanket on a cold autumn night. This one always makes me feel better when I’m feeling low. It’s categorized as Bedroom pop/Alternative, which I think is fitting. My top picks are “Paul,” “Guilty,” and “Idea of Her.”

“Weight Problems” (2014) by The High Curbs

This album is just pure alternative/indie rock. They sound similar to The Destroy Boys, Surf Curse, and The Frights. I really like the way the vocals are recorded; it makes them sound like they’re coming from an old radio. “Weight Problems” is great to jump around your room to. I really like “Little Did I Know,” “Can Not Even,”  and “Love is Lame.”

“In Utero” (1993) by Nirvana

I know everyone on the planet has heard every single Nirvana song, but I just really love this album. I think it’s the peak grungy-ness of Nirvana’s career. My favorites are “Serve the Servants,” “Pennyroyal Tea,” and “Dumb.”

“Beluga Moon” (2020) by Lavalove

This band deserves more attention, Lavalove is fantastic and unique. I think the best way to describe their sound is just smooth, creamy, and glittery Bedroom Pop. My favorites from this album are “Luck in Love,” “Aurora,” and “Baby Blue Beluga Moon.”