As the summer season comes to a close and fall begins, students often find themselves thrust from the carefree warm summer days into colder damp fall evenings. To help transition to these colder quiet days we have created the perfect moody fall playlist to study with, take a walk with while admiring the fall foliage, or snuggle up to with a warm drink and a good book. Scan the QR code below to get the full playlist.

“august” by Taylor Swift The eighth track on Taylor Swift’s eighth studio album, “folklore,” “august” has become one of my favorite fall songs to put on as we enter the new season. The song sends me back to the nostalgia of summer: watching the sunset, driving around, getting ice cream with friends, or sitting by the campfire. The song is filled with contrast, as it has a relatively fast paced rhythm, accompanied by Swift’s soothing vocals and instrumental track. It is also sequential to the album’s love triangle trilogy. My favorite line from the song is, “Remember when I pulled up and said, ‘Get in the car’ / And then canceled my plans just in case you’d call? / Back when I was livin’ for the hope of it all, for the hope of it all,” which contributes to the song’s intended meaning, as it reflects on a characterized summer fling that couldn’t be further developed. This sentiment is also reflected in the other songs in the trilogy, “cardigan” and “betty,” and further adds to the album’s concept as fictional, as opposed to Swift’s autobiographical style seen prior. Whether you’re a “Swiftie” or not, this song will transport you into a euphoric daydream walk along the shore.

“Open Season” by High Highs “Open Season” is the title track from Australian indie rock band High Highs’ album “Open Season,” released in 2013. When I hear this song, I picture myself winding down after a long school day, and watching the leaves fall from my window, due to the acoustic strumming in the instrumental track. The song is slow and simple, but it holds a powerful meaning underneath its soft, acoustic, and composed structure. The song “Open Season” portrays a person letting go of their resentful feelings that are holding them back in life. The lyrics “get on your knees in the fire / you can leave it all in your mind” advise the audience to take control of their thoughts and face their fears. I’d recommend “Open Season” if you want to listen to a laid- back song this fall.

“Not Strong Enough” by boygenius “Not Strong Enough” is a song by American indie folk rock supergroup boygenius, consisting of artists Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, and Lucy Dacus. “Not Strong Enough” is the sixth track on boygenius’s debut studio album, “the record,” released a year ago. This song, which layers a composition of indie and rock throughout, perfectly encapsulates traveling and observing the fall scenery. The song demonstrates the evolution of finding yourself and your true identity, which is reflected through the undertones of vulnerability in the lyrics. My favorite line would have to be, “Always an angel, never a god,” because it sums up the song as a whole, with the message pertaining to women continuously feeling like they are not good enough, by being dehumanized as angels collated to men as gods. The song features a beautiful vocal blend between the three musicians and is accompanied by a music video exploring the group’s friendship.

“Maine” by Noah Kahan “Maine” is a song by indie rock artist Noah Kahan on his EP “Cape Elizabeth.” The song has recently been rerecorded on Kahan’s new “Live from Fenway Park” album with new instruments and vocals that bring the song to a new level. “Maine” is a song about looking back on simple times in life and reflecting on one’s personal growth through time. Kahan perfectly depicts the feeling of being in love with places and people, and how it feels to miss them as one grows up and moves away, leaving their memories behind. In the lyrics, “used to sing along to church bells on Sundays, can you even hear them from the subway now,” he recalls how everything in his life — including the sounds — has changed. The song has such a beautiful melody that reminds me of the music that plays at the end of a rom-com. This is the perfect song to save for one of the last warm days of summer when you’re sitting by the water and just enjoying the scenery.

“Second Chances” by Gregory Alan Isakov “Second Chances” is a song by Gregory Alan Isakov on his album “The Weatherman.” “Second Chances” brings me such nostalgia of childhood memories and happiness. The song is relaxed and smooth but with powerful vocals and lyrics. The best part of the song is the chorus, where Isakov sings, “If it weren’t for second chances we’d all be alone.” I feel that this line so powerfully portrays the ups and downs of a relationship, and really prompts a moment of reflection for how far we’ve come as individuals. This is a feel good song that makes me feel so calm and centered. Anytime I listen to it, I feel like I’m the main character in a Greta Gerwig movie because the style is very similar to the outros of her films.

“For Emma” by Bon Iver “For Emma” by Bon Iver is an upbeat song that captures the vibe of warmer fall days when the trees are fully orange. The song is on Bon Iver’s EP “For Emma, Forever Ago” and centers around a failed relationship with a past partner; while the relationship had gone well in the beginning, it was time for it to end and for the former partner to “go find another lover.” The song is classic Bon Iver with beautiful vocals and instrumentals that create a sense of peaceful solitude. If you want to listen to calm background music while studying or reading a book, this is the perfect song for you.