The thing about the winter season is that most people either love it or absolutely hate it – personally, I am somewhere in the middle. I love the look of snow but despise trudging through it. I adore being cozy indoors when it’s freezing outside but dread the feeling of the winter wind taking my breath away. To me, those contradictory feelings I have about winter are best conveyed in the music I return to throughout the season.
Getting to warm up indoors with a blanket, baked treat and candle is one of my absolute favorite ways to enjoy the winter season in a place where the weather is often so unforgiving and early sunsets feel suffocating. The music I listen to each winter complements those pensive, secluded days; here are some albums that help me get through the winter each year.
“Guard Dog” by Searows
There is a certain numbness prompted by the dreadful cold, darkness and isolation winter can often bring; “Guard Dog” by indie musician Searows is a record I can always count on to pull me out of that numb abyss and truly make me feel something. Uniquely, this album strikes a perfect balance of being both emotionally devastating as well as healing in a way that brings the relief of a deep exhale.
Released in 2022, “Guard Dog” was one of my most played albums of 2023 because of how often I would fall asleep to it; this record has no drums, relying on raw vocals, acoustic guitar accompaniments and reverb to craft its dreamlike soundscape. Despite its stripped back sound, though, there is absolutely nothing dull or boring about this record. It pulls you in, speaks to the depths of your soul and reminds you how beautiful the wide spectrum of human emotion can be. Like a gentle evening snowfall, each track is stunningly simple and quietly stirring.
“Carrie & Lowell” by Sufjan Stevens
Few records capture the emotional weight of the winter season as completely as 2015’s “Carrie & Lowell” by Sufjan Stevens. On those cold, melancholy winter days where the snow obscures the view from your bedroom window and the early sunset feels monumental, there is so much comfort in being sheltered indoors with this album to listen to.
Winter often prompts nostalgia, and “Carrie & Lowell” provides an ideal soundtrack for daydreaming and reflection. Stevens’ lyrical exploration of grief, memory and family dynamics on this record feels especially moving during such a reflective time of year. The gentle melodies and minimal arrangements on tracks like “Should Have Known Better” and “John My Beloved” feel like delicate retracings of winters past.
“Song For Our Daughter” by Laura Marling
Released in 2020, Laura Marling’s “Song For Our Daughter” is one of my absolute favorite modern female folk records. Its warm acoustic arrangements, gentle pacing and lyrical storytelling create a calm, soft landscape of sound that feels like a warm embrace.
Many of the songs on this record, like “Hope We Meet Again” and the title track, feel like quiet conversations whispered on a late winter night. Marling’s songwriting here is thoughtful and somewhat restrained as she offers observations on womanhood, legacy and personal identity without ever feeling too heavy-handed. “Song For Our Daughter” is a record that encourages stillness and calming solitude during a season that often feels so heavy.
“Elliott Smith” by Elliott Smith
After much careful deliberation with myself about which Elliott Smith album to mention on this list, I landed on his 1995 self-titled record as the best winter listening material. Featuring Smith’s signature fingerpicking guitar melodies and some of his most personal writing, this record is steeped in the kind of striking emotional honesty that feels especially resonant during the colder months.
Gritty, desolate-sounding songs like “Needle in the Hay” and “Southern Belle” capture feelings of isolation and stillness that winter so often brings. Softer tracks on the record offer slow, lingering instrumentals and soothing vocal delivery, making songs like “Clementine” feel like comforting winter lullabies. Every song on this record feels like an intimate confession, with Smith’s writing and musical mannerisms making them feel even more emotionally resonant in winter.
“Ask Me Tomorrow” by Mojave 3
Full of reverbed guitars and hushed vocals, Mojave 3’s 1995 “Ask Me Tomorrow” is a hazy, languid world of sound. Listening to this record feels a lot like the quiet suspension that defines winter, when days seem to blur together and time feels imaginary and far away.
“Love Songs On The Radio” and “Tomorrow’s Taken” are two of my favorite tracks, and they really encapsulate the tranquil ambience of this record as a whole. “Ask Me Tomorrow” counteracts the winter chill with its sonic warmth and serenity, making it an ideal record to play when reading, relaxing, resting and taking advantage of a cold day spent indoors.
Winter can often feel long and unbearable, but music is the one thing that always helps me not only to get through the season but relish it. Consider getting lost in the stories and melodies of these records to enhance your winter season.
