People often ask me what kind of music I like. I’ve found that the most true, all-encompassing answer to them is this:
“Music you would probably call ‘depressing.”’
Although I don’t find it depressing. I actually enjoy a healthy portion of melancholy in my headphones. But it wasn’t until I got my heart broke that I noticed how deep the emotions in these songs run. They are more than mere soundtracks now. Songs about breakups have become companions for me, tunes I can lean into for some aural empathy.
Maybe I never truly noticed before, or just didn’t pay attention, but there is a TON of good music that is inspired by breakups. (Including especially ‘For Emma, Forever Ago’ by Bon Iver, an album every music snob swears by.)
So even if I can’t turn my sorrows inspire the next great LP, I can at least tell you about a few artists that did.
I present to you the best (breakup) albums of the last year or (sorry, not of all time) that you might not’ve heard yet, but should definitely check out.
5. Daughter – Wild Youth Ep
Daughter is a three piece, female-led indie-folk group that puts the ‘oo’ in ‘brooding.’ I came across this EP last spring, and it is truly both depressing and beautiful. Subdued and atmospheric, this is a breakup album at its most lyrically visceral.
Painful Lyric:
“And if you’re still breathing, you’re the lucky ones.
‘Cause most of us are heaving through corrupted lungs.
Setting fire to our insides for fun
Collecting names of the lovers that went wrong” – Youth
Hopeful Lyric:
“Pick it up, pick it all up.
And start again.
You’ve got a second chance” – Home
4. Texture like Sun – Weekend
3. Active Child
You’ve probably heard Active Child’s ‘Hanging On’ being covered by Ellie Goulding on the new God of War ads. That song, along with ‘Johnny Belinda’, make for two of the most played breakup tunes in my car these past few months. Active Child sounds like Bon Iver playing a harp while falsetto-ing in an electric cathedral. Epic, atmospheric and drenched in emotion, you really can’t get any more heart wrenching than this.
Part two of AC’s break-up inspired awesomeness, and also the most epic music video of 2012.
Painful lyric:
“I wish that I was strong enough
I wish that I could give it up
I wish that I could change enough
To be yours.” – ‘Johnny Belinda’
Man, been there, am I right?
2. Sir Sly
This band sounds like Foster the People without the… happiness. They haven’t actually released an album yet, instead opting for the buzz-building strategy of dropping a new (and consistently amazing) song every couple of months. Still, there’s one constant stream through them all, and with song titles like ‘Ghost’ and ‘Found You Out,’ I’m sure you can guess what is.
Painful lyric: “My table didn’t need a Judas.” – Found You Out
Hopeful lyric: “We both got a lot of pain, but the living’s easy now.” – Easy Now
1. Hannah Georgas (Self Titled)
One of my go-to summer soundtrack albums last year, Hannah Georgas’s self-titled release takes the cake for most consistent in theme and quality: meaning all the songs are really good, and pretty much all seem inspired by a breakup. Nearly every song revolves around a different aspect of heartbreak, as it winds the natural path from love lost to vitriol to denial to existential crisis to whispy hope and back again.
Nearly every song is a standout, but I guess since my friends at Amazing Factory directed her latest video, I’ll suggest that one. Can’t embed it yet, but you can find it here.
Painful Lyrics: “I wanna be reprogrammed. I wanna be robotic. No more blood in these veins. I wanna press reset.”
Hopeful Lyric: “Life… another word for the waiting game.”
Well, maybe not exactly hopeful… but true.
Anyways, Enjoy! Or whatever the right word is for wallowing in your sorrow in epic sonic fashion.
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If I get ten comments asking for it, I’ll post a Grooveshark playlist with these songs plus a few more standouts, just in case you want to join me in my melancholy.
