Autumn 40

Far Out 40: The ultimate Autumn playlist

Wed 22 September 2021 21:00, UK

Well folks, it’s that time of year again. With the first day of Autumn now upon us, the nights will draw in, the leaves with turn colour, and any lingering shade of tan will fade to oblivion. But as ever, certain sweaters and songs will come into their own once more.

Whether it’s Nick Drake’s ethereal tones making themselves at home amid the golden hue or the coffee shop vibes of Etta James offering up a bit of rosy warmth against the first cold stirs of winter, as the world gears down, the softer side of music comes into its own. And with the comforting tenors of sepia-toned tunes in the air, what could initially seem bleak suddenly cosies up to Albert Camus’ view: “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”

And with that softer side to life and art in mind, we turn to the words of Robert Frost to make those dreading the darker nights approach it with a bit more a sanguine light.

Nothing Gold Can Stay:

Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

Below we’ve collated a playlist fit with only the sweetest of autumnal tones. With new and old, soul to folk and even a bit more poetry from Jack Kerouac, we’ve collated 40 tracks that for whatever reason make us think of autumn or fall to any of our friends that way inclined… And yes, of course, we end it with ‘Monster Mash’.