For Millennials of a certain age, that seemingly endless optimism has ultimately waned over time. Now it’s cringe to be sincere, and the generational attitude occasionally circles back to 90s-era cynicism. So when our grim reality gets to be too much, and the anxiety of never owning a home rears its head, here are three nostalgic comfort albums that might help put us all at ease for a moment.
‘Fleet Foxes’ by Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes’ self-titled debut is one of those albums that can hurt so good, and albums like that are great for nostalgia listening. This late-2000s era of stripped-back folk holds onto memories and conveys them the same way years later. Fleet Foxes is, essentially, one of those time capsule albums.
And time capsules can be a comfort too. Maybe this album appeared right when you needed it, or maybe it brings back memories of your blissful summer of 2008. Millennial optimism maturing into real plans and goals. And when the reality of those goals feels suffocating almost 20 years later, there’s always Fleet Foxes to fall back on as a comfort album.
‘Oracular Spectacular’ by MGMT
MGMT released their debut album Oracular Spectacular in October 2007, and its electro-pop brightness is both a mark of its time and a comfort for those who were there. This album may be quintessentially late-2000s fare, but it still holds up as it approaches its 20th anniversary.
As a comfort album, Oracular Spectacular is youthful optimism at its core. No cares, not even much rhyme or reason to anything. Just pure feeling, concentrated emotion. Especially if this album got you in its grip. It was easy to get hooked on Oracular Spectacular and equate the album with a specific moment in time. And if that happened to you, there’s a good chance this is still a genuine comfort album.
‘Currents’ by Tame Impala
At this point, Tame Impala is more like a Millennial comfort artist. But Kevin Parker’s 2015 album Currents is particularly beloved. Especially for those who appreciated the album’s themes and meticulous production. In contrast to Lonerism from 2012, Currents is dancier, with less guitar and more drum machine. However, it’s still deceptively deep.
The initial comfort in Currents comes from how easy it is to listen to and get lost in. It has a great balance of ambiance and excitement, but never gets ahead of itself. Ambitious, but not overzealous, and the perfect album to come back to. When life gets overwhelming, having Currents as a comfort album means never having to explain yourself to Kevin Parker, because he already gets it.
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