5. Explosions in the Sky – The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place
Like many of the best albums I turn to on snow days, The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place is as much about the warmth it emits as it is about creating a densely chilled atmosphere. All of Explosions’ songs are introspective in nature, but none are as comforting, exquisite, or flat-out breathtaking as these five. Similarly, no album resembles a snowflake’s aimless journey through the sky as this one, nor do any make that flight feel so momentous.
4. Low Roar – Low Roar
I stumbled upon Low Roar’s impossibly beautiful self-titled debut in the depths of December. The timing certainly didn’t hurt; given its frigid languor and earnest intimacy, it wouldn’t have had near the impact in June or July. That it came from Iceland — home to likeminded acts Bjórk, Sigur Rós, and Múm — was also fitting. But when an album combines immersive atmosphere and deeply personal songwriting the way Low Roar does, it was destined to become that type of listen from its very inception.
3. Slowdive – Souvlaki
Any discussion about Souvlaki usually begins with “Alison,” possibly the best song to emerge from the shoegaze movement in the early ’90s, but it doesn’t end there. The recently reunited English band was remarkably adept at writing mid-tempo ballads that were equal parts yearning and harrowing — apparent through each of this album’s 58 minutes. Souvlaki takes Cocteau Twins’ delicate, melody-driven songs and engulfs them in an intoxicating amount of reverb and distortion. That isn’t unusual within the genre, but this record might have been the culmination of this technique.
2. Biosphere – Substrata
Of all the albums on this list, none resemble a barren, snow-caked terrain as vividly as Substrata. Biosphere, the alias of Norwegian musician Geir Jenssen, has become synonymous with the “arctic ambient” style by building upon a foundation paved by musicians like Klaus Schulze and the isolated beauty of Brian Eno’s Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks. Substrata is the reason why. For what is by and large a sparse, minimalist piece of work, this barren work of art paints a uniquely evocative portrait through sound, and it’s arguably as quintessential a winter album as has ever been made.
1. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
For Emma, Forever Ago is such a beautifully chilling album, you’d almost think Justin Vernon recorded it while alone one winter in a remote Wisconsin cabin or something, right? Eight years after its original release, the mythology surrounding For Emma has almost become as influential as the music itself. And with “Skinny Love” becoming so universally beloved and Vernon himself ascending the industry ranks — even winning a Grammy for his sophomore effort — it feels like several decades could have passed in the time since. But this is timeless music all the same, and it feels as spiritually cleansing today as it did when it first seeped out of that lonesome cabin.
