Top 5 Albums To Get You Through The Gray Winter Nights

Top 5 Albums To Get You Through The Gray Winter Nights

By: Trevor Figge

As winter comes into full force, the days seem to be getting shorter and everything just seems to take on a nasty gray. Fortunately, we’ve got some great tunes for you to get through these dreary months, and looking forward to the sunshine.

 The Hotelier – Home, Like No Place Is There

Some days you just need a good cry. For those days the Hotelier is there. Home, Like No Place Is There will look deep inside of your darkness in order to drag out every of your repressed memory, dead relative, broken heart, and lonely night. This album sucks you (emotionally) dry. If songs like: “Your Deep Rest”, “Deadron”, and “Discomfort Revisited” don’t cut you to the bone, you need to go out and examine your soul. Now, I know you’re asking “why would I want to listen to a sad album on a cold winter night?” Well the answer is simple. We ever you feel alone, hurt, or lost isn’t all you want someone to look you in the eyes and say, “I’ve been there. It hurts, but it will get better”? For this reason and this reason alone is why albums like Home, Like No Place Is There makes this list.

Aaron West and The Roaring Twenties – We Don’t Have Each Other

There is nothing quite like the energy of Pop-Punk, but sometimes your ears grow weary and tiered of double timed verses and distorted guitars. You crave a break. Yet you still want the heart-wrenching reflective, depressive, and emotional lyrics of Pop-Punk. That is when this album comes into play. Dan ‘Soupy’ Campbell teams up with Mike Kennedy to create a concept album about the worst year of his life lived through a protagonist named Aaron West. In this album Soupy sheds the electric guitars, picks up an acoustic guitar and is backed by steel guitar, banjo, mandolins, horns, and numerous other Americana and bluegrass instrumental cornerstones. Yet his lyrical styling will pull at your heartstrings as you hear the story of love, loss, and mending.

Foxing – The Albatross

Ambient tones, falsetto vocals, ‘noodly guitars’, and emotional lyrics conjure up memories of hoodies, fallen leaves, barren trees and tea (for me). Which is why an album like The Albatross makes the list. When listening to The Albatross I find myself getting lost in the ambient reverb and lyrical melodies. If that doesn’t make you want to curl up under some covers and sip on tea. Then, I don’t know what will

Brand New – The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Of Me

Brand New, you classic “cult” Emo band. Lets get real for a second here, if this did not make the list. Then I truly would not be fit for making a list of albums that reflect the dreary, dull, cold weather outside. The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Of Me has an uncanny ability to do what so many other bands try to do. Master both the highs of angry, angst ridden pop-punk/emo. As well as, the lows of  emo. Or in simpler terms, they’ve mastered the loud distorted growling aggressive punk sound, as well as the soft reverb ridden, down-trodden song structure that people love about emo. Their songs build throughout the song and drop off like the snow banks up north.

Pentimento – Pentimento

Pentimento’s self-titled album caps out this list, because you wouldn’t be in winter without heart-break. This album will help you work out your anger, frustration and sadness all at the same time. Why? It’s pop-punk stupid! Heavily influenced by Brand New’s second full length Deja Entendu, Pentimento are able to channel anger and aggression into their instruments to make something beautiful. You’re sure to feel comforted as Jeremiah Pauly’s (vocals) voice cracks and breaks throughout the album. Your spirits will lift as his voice soars on their acoustic down tempo songs and you will find hope that the skies will part and you’ll see blue skies again.