I’ve never treasured springtime the way I ought to—never valued the rainbows the early March sunshine can cast or the sudden aroma of warmth and brightness. Whether as a result of its many melancholy memories or separation of winter and summer, the season has always brought with it a general feeling of impartiality. 

Nevertheless, due to my black-and-white mood and my borderline excessive Phoebe Bridgers listening, Spotify thought it would be a perfect time just a few days ago to recommend the playlist entitled “Noir.” This is one of those moody yet vulnerable collections that genuinely hits the mark nearly every time, especially on the verge of an often dreaded season. 

Within the walls of this playlist, I soon discovered “Everything I had,” a song off of Sun June’s newest album, Somewhere. Almost immediately, a steady drumming beat led softly into angelic vocals. My first thought when hearing their music for the first time was, “this is spring.” 

Yet, it wasn’t just what the time is in its essence; the entire track felt like what the season is supposed to be. There is a particularly wistful yet beholden nature to the tune evocative of hand-me-down tank tops and golden shadows on bare, white walls. 

However strange it sounds, “Everything I had” managed to encapsulate the mixed bag of emotions that is my current mood, and I knew that I had to investigate deeper into Sun June’s music. 

Sun June is an alternative/indie band that got their start in 2018 with their debut album, Years. Both this release and their latest collection of songs carry with them a sort of candor, both in lyrics and melody. There is a natural yet subtly eclectic feeling to their music, reminiscent of impromptu bookstore trips and the image of stained glass on a sunny day. 

Furthermore, Somewhere is one of those albums you can listen to both in the background and the foreground. If you can listen to music and study simultaneously, the ballads from this musical scrapbook are perfect to put on. When listening to the refrain’s lyrics and undulations, one can get lost in the beat.

And while “Everything I had” is certainly still my favorite off of the album, further inspection only brought more sure-fire bops. Tracks like “Singing” and “Everywhere” carried with them a sort of star-like glimmer and lucidity, while “Bad girl” and “Karen O” personified the sadder parts of Spring. 

However, all across the board, there is a thread of clarity. Like the illustration that adorns the cover, an aura of pale blue, sweet lavender, and whipped ivory wavers throughout every song. There is a strangely streamlined nature to each melody that perfectly fits into the next, almost like the pieces of a puzzle. Yet, this coherence never becomes repetitive, and the beginning of each new song signifies a fresh take on a similar concept. 

Somewhere is one of those perfectly picturesque collections that manages to epitomize its message while remaining captivating. After listening, I find myself looking abnormally forward to the oncoming season, hoping to personify what spring means to me.