The Season of Acoustics

Acoustic music will always be the genre that embodies autumn the best (in my opinion). I always associate the resonating strums of a guitar or the twinkling notes of a piano with the image of somebody whittling away hours on end with a book and an everlasting hot beverage of their choice. I have a soft spot for acoustic tunes because it really strips a song down into the basics, which is something I've always appreciated an artist for doing. You can also get a real sense of what their vocals (might) sound like under all of the heavy bass and synthetic instrumentals. I've constructed a couple of my favourites to help transition into the season of yellow leaves.

Passenger is a one man band fronted by Michael Rosenberg. Though the original version of 'Let Me Go' is predominantly acoustic, it is still layered with the drums, piano and bass- this version takes it all back to one single instrument. His distinct voice paired with the quiet picking of the guitar he wields makes for the perfect song to set in the background while you digest a snack or get lost in a novel on a foggy afternoon.

If you haven't heard anything by Adele before, you've certainly missed out on a couple years of your life. She's most famous for her powerful and melancholy love songs, such as Set Fire to the Rain and Someone Like You, respectively. It's always nice to hear Adele's voice without additional instrumentals because her voice is so raw and unique to herself. Her lyrics show a more vulnerable side to her music, which I'm sure most of us can relate to.

Keaton Henson is a singer-songwriter, artist and poet from England. Like Passenger, Henson also has a very distinct voice which captured the nation when he performed his song "You Don't Know How Lucky You Are" on BBC Radio 1 in 2011. Henson started making music after a friend encouraged him to post some of his work online. Ironically, he also suffers from extreme stage fright, so seeing him in concert is a rarity. Still, that doesn't take away from the fact that his ballad is anything other than extraordinary.

Lights is a Canadian artist from Toronto that usually creates synthpop music. When she was young, her father taught her how to play the piano and guitar, so she holds the idea of being able to strip a song down quite close to heart. Lights is actually one of my favourite artists, and I appreciate the fact that she puts out acoustic albums for her fans to enjoy. "...And Counting" is a song off of her second studio album, Siberia, and I must say that when it first came out, I wasn't really a fan of it. When she released the acoustic version, it made me appreciate the original more. 

William Fitzsimmons is an American singer-songwriter with a really rad beard (let's be real: it's what everybody notices first). Two of his songs ("Please Don't Go" and "Passion Play") were featured of Grey's Anatomy, which brought him much popularity and credibility in his musical career. I chose this version of his song "Beautiful Girl" because it showcases his talent much more than the original song (which is still all acoustic, only using the piano, guitar and mandolin). You can find the original version here.