By Meredith Nardino

Last Friday marked the official beginning of the best season of the year: fall. The only things better than chunky sweaters, cozy scarves and apple-cider-flavored everything are the sounds we celebrate this season. Earthy, acoustic tracks become a saving grace in autumn, keeping the mood bright and crisp while everything around us is dying. Even though this weekend felt more like summer than anything else, that did not stop me from putting together a list of all my favorite fall tracks in anticipation.

1. “Conrad” – Ben Howard
Ben Howard falls in line with singer-songwriter greats like James Bay, Nick Mulvey and Passenger, though he hardly ever gets the same recognition. Howard brings a delicate island vibe to his classical acoustic approach, drawing inspiration from his life in coastal England. “Conrad” is easy listening at its best ,with a heartfelt melody that could put you to sleep – in a good way.

2. “For Emma” – Bon Iver
Can you believe it has been a decade since Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon invented the concept of an autumnal anthem? Vernon has left his mark on the indie scene, transitioning from the tragic whispering troubadour on For Emma, Forever Ago to the innovative Kanye West collaborator we now know. “For Emma” was made for the sole purpose of listening to it while curled up in a warm blanket with a mug of mulled cider in hand.

3. “Warm Glow” – Hippo Campus
Hippo Campus finally releasing its debut LP is one of the best things that happened in 2017. Landmark was a triumph of youth and honesty, a purely joyful summary of everything the band represents. After months of non-stop touring, the Minnesota twenty-somethings dropped the perfect end-of-summer EP, with the title track “Warm Glow” as a sentimental goodbye to long days spent soaking up the sun.

4. “Downtown” – Majical Cloudz
Even though light acoustic tracks are perfect for fall, there is something about this unconventional song that resonates with the changing of the seasons. Though the Canadian duo is no longer creating music, its sound should be celebrated for its devastating beauty. If you were to make a time-lapse video of the leaves changing color, this is the song you would play in the background.

5. “Chateau” – Angus & Julia Stone
There’s something haunting about this Australian brother-sister power duo, but its latest record, Snow, shows a somewhat lighter side to its sound. I could listen to “Chateau” for hours on end, which is essentially what I’ve done since the day the album dropped. Angus & Julia Stone layer their harmonies so flawlessly in the bridge that when you hear it, everything around you sort of melts away.

6. “In a Week (feat. Karen Crowley)” – Hozier
All we can hope for is that this fall brings new music from this talented Irish songwriter. It has been three years since Hozier released his self-titled record, and I think everyone is suffering from withdrawal from his sepia-toned sound. Hozier makes music destined for chilly, sweater-clad autumn nights around a warm fire. This song is so stunning that you almost forget it’s about two bodies decomposing in the woods somewhere.