Be my valentine - albums for Valentine's Day
Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever AgoIt might seem a bit passé to include Bon Iver, but it’s too apropos to ignore. Post-breakup Justin Vernon went into the woods in a depressed stupor and came out with one of the most emotionally raw albums in the last decade. You’ll feel emotions that you’ve never even personally gone through with each brooding word (“Go find another lover / To bring a- to string along. / With all your lies / You're still very lovable”).http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0yaQ20dpWIElliott Smith – Either/OrElliott Smith was a master of making evocative music. At the risk of being all pretension and no one paying attention, I’ll just put this on this list as another essential listen for today.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M185LTyNLNoMac DeMarco – 2It’s really not fair to include this album because every single day is a good day to listen to Mac. There’s love at every turn; a dad’s love of cooking meth, Mac’s love of cigarettes, my undying love of Mac, or Mac’s love of Kiki. (“In time she'll see, that her and me / Were meant to be together”)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUy_BtvSJ8ASufjan Stevens – The Age of AdzThere’s no one better to imagine serenading you on Valentine’s Day than Sufjan Stevens (“And I would say I love you, but saying it out loud is hard / So I won't say it at all / And I won't stay very long / But you are the life I needed all along”). Between releasing state-themed albums and Christmas songs, Sufjan unexpectedly diverged from his trademark folk to release this experimental album. The lyrics touch on sex, death, and anxiety, so it’s pretty much perfect for Valentine’s Day.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=028KfrPNpPsMy Bloody Valentine – LovelessIf you don’t get ASMR from the distorted guitars on every track, then you should check your pulse because you might not be alive. A well-trained ear can pick up some of the lyrics and realize just how somber the mood is here (“Fall apart, my bleeding heart, nothing left to do / Once in love, I'll be the death of you” and “I don't know how you could not love me now / You will know, with her feet down to the ground / Over there, and I want true love to grow / You can't hide, oh no, from the way I feel”). This album is quintessential for introverts from start to finish, which makes it perfect for Valentine’s Day. Whether you’re cuddling up with your significant other/operating system/blanket, make it a loveless and bloody valentine. But cheer up. Those tears will soak your shoes.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0dJqlvOSq4