Blast to the past with these classic albums

Thanks to the internet, discovering new music has never been easier.However, while it’s easy to hop on new trends and listen to the latest singles, it’s a little harder to rifle through the years and find the beauty of classic albums. So, sit back, relax and read on to discover what classic albums pair well with some recent modern favorites.

If you like “Sling” by Clairo, check out “Déjà Vu” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Clairo captured the acoustic fall vibe with last year’s “Sling,” and while the soft reflective tracks mixed with her pop background still hold up, there’s something to be said for the soft classic rock of “Déjà Vu” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. 

Clairo’s yearning for domestic life on “Zinnias” is backed by soft plucked guitar as she sings, “Sure sounds nice to settle down for a while/ Let the real estate show itself to me / I could wake up with a baby in a sling.” Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young practically originated this kind of sweet domestic scene with “Our House” where they croon, “Our house is a very, very, very fine house / With two cats in the yard / Life used to be so hard / Now everything is easy cause of you.” It is a never-failing tearjerker and brings to mind simple pictures of true, shared love. 

The two albums match well if you’re looking for something that feels like a warm blanket on a chilly autumn day, with orange leaves falling in the background and a cup of steaming apple cider.

If you like “A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships” by The 1975, check out “LCD Soundsystem” by LCD Soundsystem

The 1975’s 2018 album “A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships” is chock full of societal references and lead singer Matty Healy’s critiques of modern culture. The album is witty and bitter, sarcastic and genuine and inane and intellectual. The same dichotomy can be found on the fantastic self-titled 2005 debut album from LCD Soundsystem.

Healy owes a lot to James Murphy, lead singer and driving force behind LCD Soundsystem. In an interview with Pitchfork, Healy revealed a lyric that was cut from their upcoming

upcoming album: “You owe James Murphy 20 percent of this song, your career, and the whole idea/Of living in the city with a tingle of fear.” The biting social commentary of The 1975’s “Love It If We Made It” echoes Murphy’s own tongue-in-cheek takedown of contemporary music culture in “Losing My Edge.” 

The lazy, detached and doomed relationship Healy writes about on “TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME,” singing, “But I only called her one time / Maybe it was two times? / I don’t think it was three times / I didn’t mean to two-time, two-time you,” feels like a spiritual successor to Murphy commenting, “When I was a little boy / I laid down in the grass / I’m sure you’d feel the same if I / Can fuck you here tonight” on “Never as Tired as When I’m Waking Up.” Both bands tackle the world with the same kind of careless grace that you can’t help but appreciate. 

If you like “The Slow Rush” by Tame Impala, check out “2112” by Rush

Kevin Parker of Tame Impala is one of the most interesting acts in music today. His precision and complete dedication to his music makes each and every album an entrancing listening experience from beginning to end. His latest effort, “The Slow Rush,” is no different. Songs such as “One More Hour” give listeners a fantastic seven-minute run full of drops and crescendos that feel like they belong in the final scene of the best movie you’ve ever seen rather than closing an album. 

The clarity and thoughtfulness of Parker’s work feels reminiscent of one of the most precise bands of all time, Rush. Their 1976 stunner “2112” begins with the 20-minute-long song of the same name that moves with such intense vision through a winding, undulating story that leaves the listener breathless by the end. 

The other tracks are filled with similar passion for precision and reflection, such as “Lessons” which recalls the contemplative tone of “On Track.” Both Rush and Tame Impala have captured the ups and downs of life and great music, and it’s so interesting to see how genre and time can interplay to have both bands achieve such massive success from their dedication to the craft.

As artists and bands continue to push the envelope of music, it is always satisfying to look back and see how albums from anywhere from 20 to 50 years ago are similar and different. By growing your music repertoire, you can achieve a better understanding of music in all its forms. There’s something to be said for experiencing an old album for the first time and thinking of all the people who have listened to it before — imagining them lining up outside the record store, eager to take it home and spin it, or grabbing the cassette and taking a hike with their Walkman, appreciating the tunes out among nature. It’s both a reset and an adventure for our modern tastes when it comes to queueing up an old classic right after a modern banger. Hopefully this list will inspire you to seek out something old, but new!