By Chantal Dunn
Tis’ the season to dwell in sad music, or let sad music make you feel better, whatever works. Either way, the cold weather can definitely affect our moods with something commonly known as S.A.D or Seasonal Affective Disorder. Luckily, music helps the brain. Here’s a collection of songs that aren’t all necessarily sad, but some give comfort to those downer moods.
Milky Chance – “Loveland”
Loveland is a song off their album Sadnecessary. In an interview explaining the title of that album, the band said, “that’s just what it pictures in the music: a sad melody with sad lyrics, but the whole song has a happy and danceable mood.” Which that, and vice versa, is pretty much the whole basis for this Shuffle.
Lorde – “Buzzcut Season”
Something about Lorde’s voice in this song is cathartic. Also, the very first lyric: “I remember when your head caught flame,” is really fun to sing out loud aggressively when you’re upset.
Cold War Kids – “Hang Me Up To Dry”
Sometimes when you’re in a mood, it’s good to yell lyrics in a petty way like you’re yelling those lyrics to whoever/whatever is making you mad. Well, this song is perfect for that. The chorus “Now hang me up to dry, you wrung me out, too too too many times” has a strong and easy tune to learn as an outlet for that internalized frustration.
Cage The Elephant – “Trouble”
The melody of this song is super soothing to mellow out to. It’s about adversity but also struggles with honesty. Big or small, we all have trouble every now and then, so this song is relatable and perfect for those times. Also, it’s a fairly popular song as of recent, so it’s good for singing along.
City and Colour – “Little Hell”
The guitar is really beautiful and calming, but the song doesn’t get boring. It starts out pretty soft with some light picking, then the drums bring it up just enough. Plus, Dallas Green’s voice is beautiful. This band, in general, is kind of a sappy go-to, but this specific song is good for those rough times.
The Glorious Sons – “Kill The Lights”
Songs with a compelling storyline are great for when you’re sad, especially sad but rocky love songs. This song’s storyline is about a young couple and their perception of love as something carefree, but the real world breaks their perceptions of what they thought love would be like. Then they realize how much hard work relationships entail.
Sir Sly – “Astronaut”
This song has very nice synth tones that are calming and peaceful. It does pick up a bit while keeping the synth, which is pretty effective for lifting any mood. It stays at a mellow tempo, though, so it’s perfect if you just need to lay in bed and vibe out, but not feel so sad.
The Neighbourhood – “Cry Baby”
The Neighbourhood has a pretty laid-back gloomy vibe, but this song isn’t too depressing, which is nice. It kind of falls into that same category of songs that have sad lyrics but a danceable beat. So, it’s good to sing along but also good to groove to.
Rise Against – “Everchanging” (Acoustic)
Uncertainty, whether it’s about a specific situation or just, in general, can be something that can really get a person down in the dumps. Especially students still trying to figure their lives out. This song is all about uncertainty and those fears. Plus, if you’re more of an alternative rock/punk fan, the acoustic version of this Rise Against song is a great listen.
Hobo Johnson – “I Want a Dog”
Hobo Johnson has a style of music that sounds a lot like it’s slam poetry, which is also pretty cathartic. This specific song talks about the life he dreams of, even though people are telling him not to dream so big. It’s good to dive into if you’re going through a rough time with what you want out of life.
