glenatron | Twenty-one Springs

One thing I have done since music grew into one of my obsessions ( which I think it probably no longer is, though it is deep in my bones now and I wouldn't be without it ) is that I have always listened to albums intensively at the time I discovered them and then often find that I can reach back to that time by listening to them again. Considering this the other day I started to think about spring albums that I associate with different years and so here, for no reason other than that I can is a list of albums that I have listened to in spring over the last 21 years:

1993
( I am at sixth form college, having the time of my life. )

Uncle Anasthesia - Screaming Trees

1994

Dream Harder - The Waterboys
Gentlemen - The Afghan Whigs

1995
( Now I have started university so I am home for the Easter holidays. )

Siamese Dream - Smashing Pumpkins
The Bends - Radiohead

1996

Expecting To Fly - The Bluetones
Drag Down The Moon - Tansads

1997

Secret Samedhi - Live
Navigation - Michael Chapman
Drag Down The Moon - Tansads
Placebo - Placebo

1998

Grace - Jeff Buckley
Faithlift - Spirit Of The West

1999

The Boy With The Arab Strap - Belle And Sebastien

2000
(I am in my first full-time job but still living with student friends. )

Weights And Measures - Spirit Of The West

2001
( Back to the nest, moved home to my parents - a poor decision but a comfortable place to be. )

Mortal City - Dar Williams

2002
( First spring dating Lou, who I went on to marry. )

True Love And High Adventure - Grand Drive
The Sophtware Slump - Grandaddy

2003

Just Like Blood - Tom McRae
Sweet England - Jim Moray

2004

Everything To Everyone - Barenaked Ladies
Up The Bracket - The Libertines

( Not a great spring for music, apparently! )
2005

The Wind In The Wires - Patrick Wolf
Fisherman's Woman - Emiliana Torrini
Open Season- British Sea Power

2006
(Working freelance, something I didn't really enjoy- stressful, long hours and inconsistent returns.)

Plans - Death Cab For Cutie

2007

More Adventurous - Rilo Kiley
Whatever - Aimee Mann

2008

Cease To Begin - Band Of Horses

( I really tried to like this one, but it was just too boring. )
2009

The Midnight Organ Fight - Frightened Rabbit
The Seldom Seen Kid - Elbow
Weightlifting - The Trashcan Sinatras

2010
( Looking back now I think I was probably genuinely depressed at this point, unhappy with my lack of achievement, realising I was middle-aged, my marriage was failing and staring into the abyss of an existential crisis. )

Grammatics - Grammatics

2011
( My marriage had ended and I guess the inevitable crash was over, but I also had an idea that just possibly something better might follow it. )

Drown Your Heart Again - The Strange Death Of Liberal England
Not Far Now - Richard Shindell
Also some stand-out songs included Richard Shindell's beautiful cover of Northbound 35, Cracker's Big Dipper and Mermaid Parade by Phosphorescence

2012

Shallow Bed - Dry The River
Let England Shake - PJ Harvey

2013
(The first spring that Sari and I were living together and moving into our flat. Also we were travelling around Australia for part of the time, which was technically autumn? )

My Head Is An Animal - Of Monsters And Men
The Village To The Vale - Autumn Chorus

2014

Into The West - Pilot Speed
An Awesome Wave - Alt-J

2015

Grown Unknown - Lia Ices
Revival - Bellowhead ( going to see them live on Monday! )
The Fine Art Of Hanging On - The Leisure Society

I'm sure there are more that I don't recall around the early 2000s - recently is new and the joyous lack of context that marks youth means that the 1990s are vivid as though they were yesterday. One thing I see looking at this is that it wasn't just my feeling- some years genuinely were way better for music than others...