You just handed in your last assessment and can finally kiss Semester One goodbye (unless you have exams – in that case, I’m praying for you). It’s time for you to leave the safety of your bedroom/the library/study hovel and get back out into the real world. And what better way to announce your return, than with some new album obsessions? Don’t worry, Glass has got you covered, with each of our editors suggesting the albums they just can’t stop listening to. You can thank us next semester 😉
Here we have a real classic Australian album. Every self-respecting indie-rock music appreciator I know has this album on vinyl, displayed proudly next to their potted plants and vintage lamp. This is the album you play when you come back from the farmer’s market on a lazy Sunday morning, turning on the coffee machine and opening the curtains to let in the sunshine. Maybe in the afternoon you’ll read a book or go for an afternoon stroll with a friend. Start with spirit boy, the angel of 8th ave., and the man himself for a true religious trauma deep dive – in the fun indie-rock way, I swear.
Sometimes Spotify recommends the most god-awful music, but occasionally, you find a truly perfect album in your recommended listening, forever changing your listening habits. Coyote Stories is a complex folk-rock album about haunted houses, fighting back against capitalists, falling in love with a gardener, and the giants that live under the mountains. They liken their three-part vocal harmonies and their mythological themes to a 21st century Cerberus reimagined as an emotional support animal. Every song on the album is a banger but start with New Discovery and The Moon Will Sing to get immediately hooked.
Self-described as her “moody little record”, this album launched Norah Jones and her iconic voice into hearts and films everywhere. Just listening to her music will make you feel like the main character in a 2005 rom-com, staring out a bus window in the rain, over thinking about your situationship/ex/crush and dramatically sighing every two to three minutes. But like, in a good way. Start with Painter Song and the titular track Come Away With Me to be transported to a simpler time.
No one does indie folk music like Iceland; they’ve given us Björk, Kaleo and of course, Of Monsters and Men, whose first album, My Head Is an Animal, will transport you right back to 2012, in the best possible way. Everyone knows Little Talks, the nostalgic classic, but the rest of the album is just as transportive; it sounds like skipping school on an overcast day in a small town, but because it’s 2012, you pass the time by going to Sanity and Blockbuster. Give From Finner a listen to relive your glory days.
It takes a true musical genius to blend police sirens, auto-tuned screams, car crash sounds, xylophones, and lyrics about weed and beating up jockeys and have the end result not sound like a dumpster fire. Thank God for Laura Les and Dylan Brady and their whacky, experimental sound that has made them icons in the nightcore/hyper-pop world. Part of their charm is the cartoony wizard costumes they perform in and the fans that record their shows on ancient Nintendo 3DS’. Start with hand crushed by a mallet and stupid horse if you want to understand the catchy chaos that is 100 gecs.
Blackout is a nostalgic masterpiece. The edgy beats and raw lyrics were revolutionary for those of us going through our teen years at the time of its release. From the iconic illustrated music video for Break the Ice, to the absolute banger that is Gimme More, this album is packed to the brim with hits. Recommend for someone who wants to reconnect with their rebellious teenage spirit or for newbies who have not yet fallen under Britney’s spell.
If you’ve been looking for a fun, indie-pop artist that you can dance to, Karmic is what you’ve been looking for, with their EP This Is Karmic. Best listened to on a sunny day with your closest friends and a couple of drinks, at a pool party if you can. Start with Wisdom Pie to get a taste of the good stuff.
This album feels like driving to your home town, sitting with your friends around a fire, seasonal depression, and late-night conversations all rolled into one. This 2022 album from Lizzy McAlpine addresses all the usual topics, like love and heartbreak, but also discusses grief, regret, and rebirth. You might already know doomsday and ceilings, so give hate to be lame and orange show speedway a listen.
Best described as “dad-rock”, Ball Park Music has been churning out silly, feel-good, disgustingly happy tracks since their debut album, Happiness and Surrounding Suburbs, came out in 2011. Something about listening to this album makes me feel like a proud father watching their child run around and play with the other children in the local park; I kiss my wife on the cheek and return to the public barbecue where I’m cooking up a collection of steaks and snags, a beer in one hands, tongs in the other. Life is good. Start with It’s Nice to Be Alive if you like enjoying life. (If you’re reading this Ball Park, I love you, I’ve been in your top 0.1% of listeners for the last three years).
Let the smooth voice of Mantaraybryn massage your brain into a state of relaxation with this four song EP. It may be short, but there are amazing stories within the upbeat yet soothing songs. We recommend listening while painting on a sunny afternoon in your backyard to properly appreciate these gems. Start with Runaway Goliath if you know what’s good for you.
Every Australian who grew up in the early 2000’s knows who Reece Mastin is. If you don’t (liar), Reece Mastin was the winner of the third season of The X Factor Australia in 2011. The end result is his self-titled album, consisting of covers of rock n roll classics like Dream On and Paradise City, as well as his original hit Good Night. If you didn’t have a crush on him growing up, you didn’t do childhood right.
