The sun is making its first tentative appearances, boat race day and the Grand National are around the corner, and soon-to-be-slaughtered lambs are gallivanting in the fields. This can mean just one thing: spring has arrived, and with it, new music. It’s time to put away winter essentials like Nick Drake’s Bryter Layter and Joni Mitchell’s Blue and get some potentially cheerier fair on. Below are some songs I consider indispensable to any spring playlist.
Nearly Daffodils – English Teacher
The humble daff is the symbol of spring, heralding her arrival. Seeing them start to appear cannot fail to provoke joy, although there is a student at John’s who, pathetically, is deathly allergic to them. Mercury-Prize winners English Teacher use them as a symbol of hope, with lead singer Lily Fontaine offering a gentler approach to their usual, acerbic post-punk style. The track lists typical spring activities: listening to birds in the morning, wandering the fields, all accompanied by Lewis Whiting’s pared-back guitar. To be enjoy on a walk to Sidge.
“English accent remind us that it’s only springtime”
Spring – Saint Etienne
A dance classic from the Croydon-based group fronted by nineties sex symbol Sarah Cracknell (yes, I did just used the phrase sex symbol in the same sentence as Croydon). Saint Etienne are also, along with the Kaiser Chiefs, one of only a few bands named after football clubs. Cracknell’s ethereal vocals and unapologetically English accent remind us that it’s only springtime, and this time everything’s going to be different. I for one am a fan of the insubstantiality of the delivery: Cracknell barely whispers into a microphone while Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs’ beats exist somewhat separately.
April Skies – Jesus and Mary Chain
I don’t imagine spring in East Kilbride is particularly sunny, if the music and dispositions of Jim and William Reid are anything to go by. ‘April Skies’ can soundtrack one of those miserable spring days, all the more depressing for following a week of glorious sunshine. The Reids excellently contrast the deep vocals with soaring guitars. Classic depressing shoegaze, just like their equally brilliant ‘Happy When it Rains’. Fitting music for a pair of brothers known for live sets that frequently descended into family brawls.
“This song should be played while driving around in an open-top car if one is available”
Backyard – Dre’es
Song from a fantastic – and clinically underrated – West-coast hip-hop pioneer. Even if it’s hailing outside and your supo essay is due in fifteen minutes and is yet to be started you can imagine that you’re getting high in the LA hills. Despite the sunny delivery, he’s still “feeling like a gold chain I’ll never buy.” The relaxed guitar soundtracks rap so laid back it’s tipping over. Dre’es’ songs ‘Warm’ and ‘Mayjune’ are great spring tracks too. As Dre’es says, “if you don’t know then all you gotta do is ask”. This song should be played while driving around in an open-top car if one is available.
Win – David Bowie
I heard this song in Sid bar the other day and I was reminded that it is an excellent spring track. Young Americans is a clinically underrated part of the Bowie corpus. Ethereal is a word that is much, and meaninglessly, bandied around in music reviews, but it perfectly captures the opening guitars. Typically bizarre Bowie lyrics include: “someone like you should not be allowed/to start any fires’ and ’it’s hip to be alive”.
Big Ship – Freddie McGregor
My friend and I recently took a mid-term, mid-week trip to Barcelona to escape week 5 blues, which I highly recommend. This song was the soundtrack to that trip, listened to while drinking beer while playing cards on a fountain – in other words, living the life. McGregor’s whimsical reggae track may or may not feature repetitive lyrics and a fairly strange pronunciation of the word ‘lighting’. Nothing to do with spring whatsoever but perfect for those times, like my friend says, when you want to feel like a big ship sailing on the ocean.
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