With winter arriving, many people crave a bittersweet feeling from music that can only be felt when temperatures reach below 40°. This time of years is stressful and agitating and sometimes the only way to cure this attitude is the power of music. So with no furthur adieu, here are 10 winter albums to satisfy the feeling we are craving.

1. Oh Inverted World- The Shins

Released in ‘01, Oh Inverted World put The Shins on the map. Quickly reaching critical acclaim, this album produced remarkable songs such as “Caring Is Creepy” and “New Slang”. With chilling vocals and incredible lyricism from frontman James Mercer, this album is perfect for a gloomy winter day. Recommendations: “New Slang”, “The Past And The Pending”, and “Girl Inform Me” 

2. Grace- Jeff Buckley

Released only 3 years befor his untimely death in ‘97, Grace is a pivotal album of the ‘90’s. With his tenor voice spanning 4 octaves and incredible melodies, Jeff Buckley provides an ethereal experience all in 57 minutes. This album is perfect for reminiscing lost love on a somber winter day.

Recommendations: “Forget Her”, “Lover You Should Have Come Over”, and “Dream Brother”

3. Blue Banisters- Lana Del Rey

In her iconic piano ballad era, Lana Del Rey released Blue Banisters in 2021. Her phenominal lyricism and Jack Antonoff’s incredible production abilities combined to make this hauntingly beautiful album. This album is perfect for cold bittersweet winter mornings, with a blanket wrapped around you, and a warm cup of hot chocolate. 

Recommendations: “Arcadia”, “Dealer”, and “Sweet Carolina”

4. A-Sides/B-sides- Adrianne Lenker

Released in 2014, this album is an underrated masterpiece, filled with melancholy chilling songs that almost everyone can relate to. A-Sides/B-Sides produced some of Adrianne Lenker and Buck Meek’s best work. This is a personal favorite album not only for the immaculate lyricism and stripped down production, but for the feeling that this album provides. This is a cold weather album all the way through and perfect for days where nothing is right, this album will make everything feel just all right.

Recommendations: “Indiana”, “Money”, “Angels”, “Wallet”, “New York City”, and “A Better Time To Meet”

5. Souvlaki- Slowdive 

Released in ‘92, Slowdive introduced many to the shoegaze genre with their work of art Souvlaki. While this album was unappreciated during its original release, Souvlaki has developed a cult following as the genre of shoegaze gained more traction. This is an album you listen in full with no interruption and perfect for extremely cold sunny days.

Recommendations: “Alison”, “Machine Gun”, and “When the Sun Hits” 

6. In The Aeroplane Over The Sea- Neutral Milk Hotel

Released in ‘98, In The Aeroplane Over The Sea is an extremely depressing masterpiece of an album. Touching on subjects surrounding death and providing detailed imagery through the masterfully crafted lyrics, Jeff Mangum released what many describe as the best album ever made. This album has a huge cult following and is a quintessential listen no matter what.

Recommendations: Listen to the album start to finish. 

7. Live Through This- Hole

Released in ‘94, Live Through This perfectly describes and presents the anger that comes with being a woman. This album is full of incredible loud vocals and instrumentals and is the ideal album to scream along to. There is so much aggression surrounding the wintertime is this album is the perfect outlet.

Recommendation: “Asking For It”, “Credit In The Straight World”, and “Doll Parts”

8. Punisher- Phoebe Bridgers

Phoebe Bridgers released her second studio album Punisher to major critical acclaim in 2020 and truly made a name for herself among the indie/alternative scene. Her unique style of writing and the help of Jack Antonoff made this album one of the best to come out of 2020. This album is depressing and beautiful, which is on brand for Bridgers, and mimics the work of Elliot Smith, who is a personal hero for Bridgers. This album is perfect for a freezing day that is not going your way, Bridgers understands and perfectly articulates the feeling.

Recommendations: “Chinese Satellite”, “Savior Complex”, and “I Know The End” 

9. When The Pawn- Fiona Apple

Fiona Apple proved herself to be a true poet with her second studio album When The Pawn released in ‘99 following her critically acclaimed debut Tidal. This album is also filled with anger but in a different way, this anger is calculated and perfectly articulated. When The Pawn is deep and personal and ideal for the coldest days of the year.

Recommendations: “Limp”, “Get Gone”, and “I Know”

10. OK Computer- Radiohead

In ‘97 Radiohead released their greatest album OK Computer. This album was way ahead of its time, and gets better with every listen. Thom Yorke’s unique vocals, unprecedented production style, and the the fear of the inevitable technological age before them makes this album an absolute masterpiece. This complex and iconic album and is a perfect album for cold and gloomy nights.

Recommendations: “Paranoid Android”, “Exit Music (For A Film)”, and “Karma Police”