Autumn and spring are "moderate" seasons. Both are some sort of foreplay for winter/summer, which means they are not extreme. On the other hands, our feelings during autumn can be quite extreme. When the rain starts pouring and the leaves start falling, memories attack and the fear of winter wakes up from hibernation. At least this is what fall is where I am coming from.
Anyhow, I believe the best autumn albums are those that deliver "moderation". I mean, I know we all have different tastes, so I wouldn't be surprised by anyone who listens to Beach Boys in January, you know. Still, I think autumn is more enjoyable if you put the following albums in your playlist.
THE MAGNETIC FIELDS - 69 LOVE SONGS
The group from New York, The Magnetic Fields is lead by Stiven Merrit who was the complete author of 69 Love Songs, my favorite autumn album. It is a triple release with, guess, 69 songs. Although The Magnetic Fields have released six albums before and 3 albums after 69 Love Songs, I seriously doubt there will ever be any album to top this one. 69 Love Songs is a collection of so many diverse songs, it makes you wonder If it's the same album. That was Merrit's idea, so it comes as no surprise that you can hear everything from pop, folk, jazz, bossanova, punk, country, electronic, etc. In few tracks, you can even hear traces of classical music.
Everything is supported by intelligent and funny lyrics. In one song, Merrit identifies himself as a chicken who is running around with no head, wondering who could possibly fall in love with him. In the other song, he wonders whether his relationship was a bigger nonsense than a chess game, while in the third one he compares love with jazz: you are constantly improvising, never knowing what's coming next.
Although Merrit's initial concept was to name it 100 Love Songs, his record label convinced him that such a move would be a financial suicide. I mean, the number 69 is a clear insinuation, so I don't have to elaborate on that.
Truth to be told, this album can serve you well in any season. Still, because it was released in the fall of 1999, and because I discovered it in the fall, I find it the most suitable for this particular season. Anyhow, the winter is coming, so you don't have much time to discover what I am talking about. At least this year.
