We are entering the most dreadful part of the semester: the end. To help you persevere here are some of my favorite albums to study to.
The Saxophones: Eternity Bay
The jazzy, soft, and uncomplicated instrumentals make this album restful and perfect for studying. The husband and wife duo, The Saxophones, are known for their fifties style and simple, jazz-influenced sound. They do an incredible job of carefully arranging the presence of woodwind, guitar, and vocals in their music. One half of the duo, Alexi Erenkov, describes the guiding principle of this album as facing the tough aspects of human existence. “We’re all alone here, but we’re alone together,” he says. My favorites from Eternity Bay are “Lamplighter,” “Take My Fantasy,” and “Flower Spirit.”
Men I Trust: Oncle Jazz
Men I Trust is one of my favorite artists and this album is pure perfection. It perfectly embodies the lead singer’s style and French background. Oncle Jazz is always my first search when I am getting ready to study. Emmanuelle Proulx has such gorgeous vocals that sedate any anxieties, remove distractions, and help me melt into my schoolwork. Accompanied by samples and instrumentals by other members of the band Jessy Caron and Dragos Chiriac, their style meshes perfectly with one another and with Emmanuelle. My favorites from the record are “Days Go By,” “Pierre,” and “I Hope to Be Around (Album V).”
Zach Hochstein: Typical Stuff
Typical Stuff is a brand new instrumental album from Seattle University’s own, Zach Hochstein, is the perfect album to play while locking into some reading or writing. As he describes, it is “calm, groovy, and typical…[but] more upbeat than [his] other albums.” I enjoy this album because of its simple electronic flair. It is perfectly stimulating and pairs well with studying because you forget you’re listening to music. In an interview with Hochstein, he says “only one song on the album was written before I started recording so it’s definitely very improvisational.” His favorites are “Roy,” “Benny,” and “Typical Stuff,” while mine are “Rest Day” and “Uh.”
Mac DeMarco: Five Easy Hot Dogs
The same study-worthy aspect could apply to Demarco’s new 8-hour album, One Wayne G, mainly consisting of instrumental “garbage,” as he describes it. Five Easy Hot Dogs, however, follows a road trip and is incredibly intentional, yet playful. In an interview with Apple Music, DeMarco said “This trip reminded me that I love to travel, that I love to meet new people, and I love to have experiences … It was an adventure.” He found himself rekindling old friendships, visiting family, and seeing what is possible with a minimalist recording setup. Even though there are no lyrics in this album, you can tell it has the notable Mac DeMarco flair and that he had fun with this production. My favorites are “Vancouver,” “Vancouver 3,” and “Chicago.”
Liana Flores: recently – EP
This is a magnificent EP, very short, but so moving and gentle. Liana Flores’ song on the EP “rises the moon” got popular on TikTok and caught my attention. The lyricism is beautifully haunting, and some of her fans say it “saved their life.” But if you’re studying, the lyrics might go over your head. With that being said, the soft, melodic glow throughout the production is incredibly relaxing and reminds me of the English singer-songwriter, Dodie. My favorites are “mother tongue,” and “try again tomorrow.”
Here is a 2-hour and 47-minute playlist with the songs from all these albums:
https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/study-playlist-from-kxsu-blog/pl.u-e98lMxlH2x56a1
PAIGE WILSON | “oh you like Mac DeMarco? name all 199 songs in his new album.” | KXSU DJ & Music & Arts Reporter