If you haven’t found your favorite fall tracks and compiled them into a playlist yet, it’s time to get on it. After all, we’re already nearly a month into the season. Although you can’t necessarily count on the below three tunes to get you into that cozy fall mood, they are solid songs that have to do with “fall” and “falling” in some sense. You’ll also probably realize that fall — as in the autumn season — is the only form of the word that can boast a positive connotation. Because let’s face it: We’d all rather crack the windows, listen to the leaves rustle, and light a pumpkin pie scented candle than endure the emotional labor of falling down or in love.
“Fall Down” – Crumb
First of all, if you haven’t listened to Crumb, they are arguably some of the most hypnotic, palatable psychedelic pop out there. A playful-sounding track on the indie quartet’s freshman full-length record, “Fall Down” greets listeners with a peppy yet fuzzy fusion of synth and drums. The chorus begins with, “Walk along the stair / Fall down say your prayer,” and the following verse proceeds, “I can’t take the heat / When it’s busy on the street / When I need it like a fix / Let me in, I’ll be quick.”
The song paints a picture of desperation, perhaps of someone needing their “fix” of intimacy. Either that, or it’s about — if I may venture to the darker side — succumbing to the relief of a drug addiction or bad habit. But as many of the greatest lovesick songwriters (and neuroscientists) have informed us, being in love and addicted to drugs aren’t actually all that different.
“The Fallen Interlude” – Blink-182
If I had to choose one hidden gem on Blink-182’s self-titled album, it would definitely be this tune. An appropriate follow-up to its preceding track, “Down,” the only lyrics (“Down, down, down / Pick me up, I’m falling”) ominously repeat in the latter half of the song. The rest, though, is purely instrumental. By “instrumental,” I mean a heavy bassline backdrop featuring Travis Barker going ham on the drums (two of my favorite things), along with a repetitious twinkling, syncopated piano chord.
It’s like the perfect soundtrack for a sneaky spy scene, or one where someone is put up to the ultimate crime — and they’re about to get away with it. They really could’ve thrown this interlude on Baby Driver’s iPod Classic for his escape after successfully robbing a bank. The song would be blasting through his headphones, its most intense drum break perfectly timed as he drifts around the corner in his red 2006 Subaru WRX. I can picture it, at least.
“Fall in Love” – Phantogram
This might be a beloved banger, but it’s not your typical love song like the title might suggest. There’s a brief string intro, and then the beat drops hard. It’s a driving pulse, with bass so intense it almost sounds staticky, so be conscious of how high you crank your volume during the first few timid seconds — your speakers will thank you later.
“Love, it was enough to recognize / To see, I was the reason you feel sick inside,” sings vocalist Sarah Barthel before the chorus: “Fall in need / I’ll let you bleed / ’Cause you were fallin’ / I’m sorry.” The song is an apology, a tale not of falling in love but rather of unrequited love resulting in the other person’s casualty. Nonetheless, it’s a classic in the realm of electronic pop.
No Comments