Whether you’re just getting home from a party, bar or club, or just unwinding after a long day of school or work, music can have a therapeutic effect. Here are five songs that can help the room stop spinning, calm your nerves and even entertain your roommates or friends when they want to slip into the relaxation vibe.
“Tightrope” – The Stone Roses
For those of you that think the only way to play an acoustic song is by mimicking Dave Matthews or Jack Johnson, take off your pledge pin and check this one out. This is a truly beautiful song about the prospects of true love and the thin line one walks when they commit themselves to it. A perfect song to impress that “significant” other you just met at the bar – even if it only lasts one night. Or it’s equally effective as a campfire song, employing only a couple of acoustic guitars and a tambourine. Either way, it’s a great mellow groove.
“Come Down Easy” – Spacemen 3
When a band releases an album called “Taking Drugs to Make Music to Take Drugs to,” it’s probably a safe bet they know how to unwind. Never shy about the drug references or their own personal addictions (check out their interviews on YouTube), Spacemen 3 made drone-ish psychedelic music in the ‘80s, of all decades. The lyrics “In 1987 all I wanna do is get stoned/All I want for you to do is take my body home” are particularly poignant in relation to this list, but you don’t have to be high to appreciate this wholly underrated band.
“Staring at the Sun” – TV on the Radio
The name of the song would imply a late night and its sound backs up this assumption. Though this is a great song to spin at a club, it seems much more appropriate to end the night on. Versatile enough to play as a background to late night conversations with good friends, it is equally appropriate for deflating those floating random thoughts that might keep you from falling asleep. This tune sounds like the soundtrack to a feverish, hallucinogenic dream, but in a good way.
“Perfect Day” – Lou Reed
Originally released in 1972, this song reached a younger audience when it was featured in the 1996 movie “Trainspotting.” The song is used when the main character overdoses on heroin, something Reed himself was personally addicted to at the time he penned it. Whether you interpret the song literally or as a sarcastic, romanticized view of addiction and lost love, its instrumentation and lyrics provide a perfect lullaby for a rough night, however you define it.
“Dayvan Cowboy” – Boards of Canada
Throw out the lush soundscapes, the amazing combination of distorted samples from ‘70s TV shows, electronic loops and warm conventional instrumentation-factors that make this a perfect song to bridge the gap between a long day and a good night’s sleep. All you need to know is that the band’s name is derived from the National Film Board of Canada’s nature-inspired documentaries. What could be more relaxing than Canadian nature documentaries?
Compiled by Jason Yurgartis.
