After a seemingly never ending winter, spring has officially sprung, and for newly-licensed teenagers, this means one important thing–spring break. Whether you’re going to another state or simply to the other side of town, there’s nothing quite like driving with the windows down and your friends in the backseat. Unfortunately, reality is never as beautiful as Sofia Coppola movies, people don’t speak like John Green writes, and life doesn’t have an Instagram filter. But with the perfect soundtrack, you can get a little bit closer to feeling like you’re in The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
The hit “It’s Time” by Imagine Dragons and “Love Like This” by Kodaline sound like a summer night is supposed to feel (except you’re probably watching Netflix alone and eating Ben & Jerry’s straight from the tub), while More Amor’s “Beach Bones” is the type of song that should be played in an iMovie compilation of a tropical vacation. So when blasted at full volume with the wind blowing in your hair (and dangerously obstructing your view of the road), they perfectly compliment the type of artsy coming-of-age movie that Tumblr users want to live in. The folk-inspired sound of “Another Travelin’ Song” by Bright Eyes and The Heart and The Heart’s “Lost In My Mind” invoke the feeling of living somewhere with open fields and endless possibilities, even when you’re just driving to Red Cherry where you’ll inevitably run into either one of your parents’ friends or your math teacher. Paramore’s “Ain’t It Fun” is unlike any other song on the playlist due to its combination of a modern pop beat, 80s synthesizers, and a gospel choir, but its infectious chorus demands to be sung along to.
Vance Joy’s “Riptide” manages to balance sweetness that belongs in a Kodak commercial with a raw folk sound, and it has a chorus that will be stuck in your head for the rest of the school year. Of Monsters and Men’s album My Head is an Animal sounds like it was written to be played during the summer, and it’s almost impossible not to tap your foot along to their hit “Mountain Sound.” Indie newbies The Native Sibling have yet to find success since dropping their self-titled debut EP, but the way the brother-and-sister duo’s vocals compliment each other perfectly (particularly on their sweet and simple song “Carry You”) will hopefully launch them into the indie scene once they release a full length album. The Vaccines’ hit “If You Wanna” is undoubtably catchy and radio-friendly, but it has an edge that sets it apart from many alternative songs that have achieved recent success. In contrast, The Honey Trees’ “By The River” is a sweet and unique track off of the band’s recent debut album that uses its singers’ beautiful harmonies to carry the majority of the song. And the Fleetwood Mac classic “Rhiannon” is still the perfect song to listen to 40 years after its original release.
Even if the Harmony Korine movie isn’t exactly what you’re aiming for, a perfect soundtrack is the key to a memorable spring break. But even if you have no plans this spring break (because let’s be honest, you probably don’t), you can still enjoy this playlist from the comfort of your own bed as you catch up on Breaking Bad. Sun exposure is bad for your skin anyway.
– Jamie Ferguson
