The Best Ways to Rediscover Your Favorite Albums
There are some albums that will remain in your mind for years. Whether you’ve heard them for the first time or were playing a song over and over again until everyone around you said, “Stop,” you will be able to recall the situation. Then at some point, you forget they’re there and go on to something else. How to get back where you came from?
Re-discovering your favorite music is one of the best ways to make the music exciting again to you. The ear can be an instrument of discovery, whether you are listening for the first time or the thousandth.
When you’re in a rut with your favourite album, here are six ways to find it again.
6 Ways to Rediscover Your Favorite Albums
The following simple ideas can help you reconnect with the records that shaped your taste:
1. ListenFromStart to Finish
The best way to “rediscover” an album is the same as the easiest: listen to it from start to finish.
Artists have a flow in their minds when they come up with their albums. It doesn’t necessarily have to be that way but the opening song should set the mood, the middle should build up the theme and the last songs should bring a resolution.
You would not be able to get the bigger picture by listening to only one track or leaving out some. So, try to listen to the entire record. Understand the story and why some tracks “feel right” and others don’t.
Add clarity by eliminating distractions. You can place your phone across the room and not skip songs for instance.
2. Listen on Vinyl
Streaming has created a sense of urgency when listening. To skip, search a song in seconds, skip to a point in the song and so many apps to listen on! This is all great, but it can detract from the album listening experience.
However, vinyl can do the trick to slow things down in the best manner.
The only thing with vinyl records is a ritual; pick the record up, open the sleeve, set it on the turntable and let the side spin until it finishes.
Next song isn’t available for skipping or scrolling. But that additional effort can make the album seem to not be as background music to everyday activities.
Vinyl also makes the listener think about the whole deal – cover art, liner notes, track list and format.
Evergreen Vinyl is one of the best vinyl stores for new releases and vintage albums. They also provide a lot of helpful information on records and turntables if you’re new to vinyl.
3. Revisit the Lyrics
Have you ever attempted to read the lyrics rather than listening? Well, it can definitely alter the interpretation of the song. The lines might have sounded easy back then, but they might resonate in a different way years later and when the album is linked to a big moment in one’s life, like growing up, heartbreak, etc. friendship, confidence or change.
If you listen to the song and read the lyrics, you will get a better idea of the clever words or lines you weren’t able to hear before. Continue and find out the meaning of the artist for the words that he/she used. A good reason to know why certain songs still stick with you even after all these years.
4. Match the Album to a Memory
One song can bring back a loved one, a crazy road trip, a friendship or a version of you that you haven’t thought about in years.
If this is the case, embrace the sentiment and discover your old favourites. Pick an album and play it listening to the song and recall the first time you loved it.
Maybe you could view old photos, make some old food, or visit a place you previously frequented, or text a buddy who was there as you listened to the record again and again.
This can be a good time to spend with friends and family, reminiscing! Have everyone bring an album that reminds them of a year and/or a stage in their lives that influenced them. Play some pieces and talk about what the pieces are about.
5. Listen in a New Setting
At times, an album becomes dull because of its repetitive context of hearing. Perhaps you’re playing it all day long at work or when you’re cleaning up. Once a week is not enough, particularly when it comes to the same songs, the same way, every other day!
However, adjusting your setting can make it feel new again. Consider playing your ‘at work’ music at home. Or listen to your ‘cleaning music’ while walking or on a long drive. The familiar songs sound different in a new setting.
The atmosphere of the album can also be matched with the atmosphere of the space. Music can help to get the ambiance right, for instance, listening to fast-paced music while driving down the highway can feel good, and slower, more soothing music can be used to create a relaxed atmosphere at home on a lazy Sunday.
6. Explore the Artist’s Other Music
If you know an artist from one record, try listening to the record before and after it. You might be able to hear how their tones evolved, or maybe you can hear how parts of their music developed the same way in your opinion. There’s a chance you’ll find a new favorite in the process.
This can also be a way of enjoying your favorite album more. Perhaps you came across the artist at a genre shift phase of their music, or perhaps you relate to the songs on a more profound level.
Remember, it’s okay if you don’t like them, but it’s good if you do like them; if you like the other albums of the artists.
Final Thoughts
It’s giving the music my attention again in a different format and in different contexts, rediscovering my favorite albums. From start to finish you can play the album, listen to it on vinyl, read the lyrics, associate it with a memory, or listen to it in a completely new setting.
The best thing about familiar music is that there’s a lot more to it than you would think. For instance, a song you fell in love with for the tune could now resonate with you for the words that you connect with it. An album that meant something to you during one time of your life, may have a new meaning years later.