As the weather haphazardly transitions from winter to spring, I have been attempting to craft my spring playlist — chocked full of indie pop and upbeat summer-esque tunes. Desperately searching for anything that varied from my mellow winter music, I scoured the Spotify “Discover” tab endlessly hoping to stumble upon something of my liking.

Sadly, I did not uncover a golden album with infinite songs fitting my exact desire at that time, but I did find an album that caught my eye.

I discovered the artist Imaginary Future about two years ago with their single “All My Love.” While it didn’t fit my normal taste in music, I thought the song was beautifully elegant and soothing and added it to my library. Two years later, they released an album with the same title, and my reviews are mixed.

Personally, I prefer calmer music during the tail end of the year compared to the spring. Everything picks up in the spring: school, sports, excitement– you name it. It’s a busy time of year, thus “busier” or more upbeat music fits that tone in my mind. I believe that for that reason I am not currently infatuated with All My Love; the timing simply isn’t right.

That being said, I am capable of acknowledging the talent that lies within the tracks. The vocal work is incredible (as expected), and the list itself is rather impressive. Although older singles like “All My Love” and “Long Road Home” are featured on the album, the blend of familiarity and freshness is perfect.

One of the major downfalls of this album was the pace. I found myself growing tired and bored with the continuing soft guitar and calming tune. It became increasingly difficult to differentiate between the tracks, and I personally would have appreciated an upbeat interlude or something to keep the overall energy of the album up.

Imaginary Future, however, is notorious for softer, calmer-toned music, so I can’t say I was surprised with the tracks on this album. My personal preference in full-length albums is a balance of cheery, high-energy songs and slower, more calming tracks. Especially at the time in the year when every emotion feels heightened, the balance is most vital.

I will say that although the vocals are chocked full of talent, the overall tone of the album was not to my liking. As I stated previously, the timing of the release of this kind of music does not seem fitting. This album made it clear that as I make my way to and from practice, I should hold tight to my spring and summer playlists.