ACL 2024 - The Year’s Best Winter Music

A Closer Listen

This year’s ACL selection of The Year’s Best Winter Music honors every aspect of the season, from gently falling snow to white-out conditions, from winter sports to Antarctic research stations.  Half of the entries are appearing here for the first time, as they were released out of season; we’ve gathered them together to preface the first frost.  A number of these albums remind us that it’s always winter somewhere, even in a time of climate change.  Those who crave snow can find it only a plane ride away, but now, in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s closer than ever.  As the cold air descends and the blankets of white appear, these albums offer an icy soundtrack.

Our cover image is taken from Galati’s Cold As a February Sky, covered below.

Arin Aksberg ~ Nordic Patterns (Projekt) As much a reflection of childhood as it is a reflection of the Nordic climate, Nordic Patterns looks back with nostalgia on a Finnmark upbringing, with occasional field recordings (“Skaiji”) evoking warmth, even amid the cold.  Piano, chimes and synth close the circle between “Leaving Home” and “Homecoming.”  Projekt founder Sam Rosenthal makes a guest appearance on one track.

Danny Clay ~ No More Darkness, No More Night (laaps) One of the neatest things about laaps records (and its predecessor eilean) is that each release is connected to the season in which it is released.  No More Darkness, No More Night is inspired by a Hank Williams song, and sings of brighter days, offering encouragement through pedal steel and string quartet.  Side B is one long track, an extended period of peace.

Galati ~ Cold As a February Sky (Glacial Movements) Rome’s Glacial Movements releases nothing but winter music; from their output, one would think they are located in Antarctica.  The best of this year’s GM releases was inspired by the cliffs and caves of the Karst plateau, which connects Italy and Slovenia.  The music rises to a peak in “With wide, unbelieving eyes,” which imitates the effects of snow blindness.

Lavinia Meijer ~ Winter (Sony Classical) Harpist Lavinia Meijer honors classical composers such as Schubert, sprinkling in a touch of the modern: Arnalds, Frahm, Richter.  This collection of winter music also affords the opportunity to hear the performer as composer; in fact, the strongest piece, “Tomorrowday,” is one of her own.

Meg Mulhearn ~ Let It Burn Through the Night (Ceremony of Seasons) The winter entry in the ongoing Ceremony of Seasons series, Let It Burn Through the Night is a reminder of the contrast between light and darkness, the reassurance of a candle, the comfort of a fireplace glow.  Even without the fine VISUALS wine, the music warms the heart from within.  The shortest day and darkest night are almost upon us; but soon they too shall pass.

Philip Samartzis & Michael Vorfeld ~ Air Pressure (Room40) The most recent album on our list, Air Pressure is the spiritual successor to Atmospheres & Disturbances and Polar Force / Array.  The field recordings were captured at research stations in Eastern Antarctica, while the “self-designed string instruments” work in tandem with the natural sound.  The end result: a duet between the harsh and the sweet, producing a harsh harmony.

Richard Pinhas ~ Winter Music (OtherSide) A remixed and remastered version of a discarded track from 1979’s Iceland, this succinct offering shimmers and glimmers, going through permutations of Moog and mood.  The label calls it a “time cloud,” which we find oddly fitting; beamed from an earlier time, it also reflects the suspension of time that winter can bring.

SHHE ~ DÝRA (One Little Independent) DÝRA was released in the heart of summer, and now its season has come.  Recorded in Iceland’s Dýrafjörður fjord, the album folds light field recordings into silk napkins of sound, embodying the peaceful, reflective side of winter.  Even the artist’s real name, Su Shaw, sounds like a fresh flurry. An additional bonus: the transparent ice blue vinyl.

Stellarays ~ Winter Resort Music (Castles in Space) If this year’s list has an outlier, it’s Winter Resort Music, inspired by a childhood spent watching winter sports on TV.  The music exudes a cheery nostalgia, invoking library music, commercials and documentaries, softly amusing yet as alluring as a commercial for a winter getaway.

V/A ~ Winter Vol. 2 (Bigo & Twigetti) Ten years have passed since the first volume was released; we’d love an annual series.  Released one track at a time leading up to the season, the full album will finally be available on December 27.  From Moshimoss to our very own Gareth Broke, these piano-based artists present the softer, gentler side of winter: watching the snow fall through the living room window, food in the fridge, firewood by the hearth.

Richard Allen