It’s already spring, and with the changing of the seasons and new responsibilities to go with it, I’ve prepared a playlist to help you get through spring cleaning.
Hold On – Alabama Shakes
There are few songs that feel as peaceful and reassuring as this classic by Alabama Shakes. Brittney Howard’s soulful vocals soothe the listener and reassure them to just “hold on,” and it’ll all be alright. The song isn’t particularly a “spring” song, but it fits the mood of reluctantly having to clean pretty well.
Spring – Angel Olsen
One of the few songs on the playlist actually titled after the season, this shimmering ballad by the St. Louis native tells the story of a dysfunctional relationship, seemingly during the month of spring. The track begins with a simple piano melody underneath Olsen’s powerful vocals before swelling into a mammoth crescendo accompanied by an equally large distorted guitar solo.
Spring (Among the Living) – My Morning Jacket
Another epic, building rock song from Jim James and crew, this song will give you the burst of energy you need to get motivated to clean. James begins by mumbling in his own unique way, “Boy I was Ready, Boy I was ready for spring,” before the song explodes into the familiar sound of an MMJ jam. With a runtime of 6:01, “Spring (Among the Living)” is still a shorter song by MMJ’s standards. For more expansive jams of theirs, check out “Dondante” (7:59) and “Touch Me I’m Going To Scream, Pt. 2” (8:12).
Spring In Hours – Florist
The final of the explicitly titled “spring” songs on the playlist, this tranquil grooving track from Florist’s 2022 self-titled effort is one to listen to on a night just after its rained with the bugs buzzing in the distance. Using cricket sounds as an actual backing track, Florist offers up one of the most indicative songs of the feelings brought on by spring. With this track, you can just smell the “April showers.”
Bath County – Wednesday
While not specifically mentioning spring, the song has a distinctively “road-trip” feel, so this can be one you save for a drive home as the end of the year begins to bear down. The Asheville, North Carolina band’s new record “Rat Saw God” also released on April 7, so the inclusion of this new single makes for perfect timing. Check out this rollicking soon-to-be classic from the alt-country band as well as their new album, which is so far my favorite of the year.
Stardew Valley Overture – ConcernedApe, Cat – C418
Spring is the season most associated with nature to me, so for the last two tracks on the playlist I included songs from two of the most nature-y games to ever be released, “Stardew Valley” and “Minecraft.” Relax at the end of a long day of spring cleaning with the “Stardew Valley Overture” and then slowly drift off to sleep with the playful and ethereal “Cat,” a masterful mix of synths and drum machines from “Minecraft – Volume Alpha,” the acclaimed collection of Minecraft tunes from German maestro Daniel Rosenfeld, more commonly known as C418.
I hope you enjoyed this playlist because I had a lot of fun making it. Let us know what your go to spring cleaning playlist is, and if it’s now been replaced with this one.