That Sounds Like College Kid Music
Illustration by Sydney Hanson
Weirdly enough, this short story begins during winter break. I was in the car with my mom and youngest brother. Of course, I had the front seat and was hogging the aux cord. Practically holding everyone hostage with my concoction of random music. I shuffled one of my 200 playlists and “You're Not the Only One I Know” by the Sundays came on. After maybe a minute my brother piped up from the backseat and said, “This sounds like college kid music.” An interesting string of words I've never heard anyone say this before, to be honest. My mom also agreed with him, which made me wonder... a lot. Definitely to an unnecessary degree, but seriously, what is college kid music? It’s not really its own genre, of course, but if it was what would it sound like?
Starting with the Sundays specifically, their songs feel like that first day in March that hits 10°C. The campus is crowded, and everyone is lying around on the field watching the sun. “Summertime” is for the first pier day post-exams, when you jump into the water with friends and then spend the next hour drying off on your towel, people-watching. At the same time, I’d also say that all of their songs can also fit perfectly into any coffee shop, study date, or library playlist. So really, I guess I can associate their music with any of my warm and cozy school memories. This doesn't necessarily help with trying to pinpoint what college kid music is though, unless it's all about the memories. Much like other similar-sounding 90’s bands, The Sundays give off an air of nostalgia for something that can't exactly be placed because it's not even over yet. I've spent many nights with friends, drinking wine, and talking about all the things we've done together in the last three years and how many more we are hoping to cram in before we're all out of here for good. When life feels so much faster and more condensed than ever before; it’s like every moment becomes a memory that will be discussed again in three months. Finding this band in my third year feels like perfect timing since their sound somehow perfectly encompasses everything I’ve experienced so far.
Ethereal seems to be a buzzword that popped up out of nowhere a few years ago, but that’s what Sweet Trip sounds like. Sweet Trip has some of the loudest and quietest songs I have ever heard. Their soft song singing and ambient instrumentals are often disrupted with sharp sounds and tone shifts, which keep you guessing. Many of my memories tied to them involve late nights in my first year at the library under warm lamps doing last-minute cramming. But none of their songs get old, nor can they be tied down to a specific feeling or genre. Listening to their earlier releases up until their 2021 release, “Tiny House, In Secret Speechless, Polar Equals” makes you feel as though you’re growing with them. Their sound manages to make time slow down and feel never-ending, as if we could stay right here forever. The song “In Sound, We Found Each Other” is for the days of picnics, tank tops, and reading novels in the grass. “Aah! Sealife” is for when the weather is bad, and everyone has been cooped up inside all day lazing around endlessly scrolling. The way every song they have released feels timeless and has a heartfelt quality to it that makes them fit into my definition of college kid music.
Reigning things back in and looking at a band close to where we are currently calling home, I need a second to gush about Men I Trust. No longer a little Canadian indie secret, you’ve most likely heard one of their songs in passing, even if you’ve never heard their name. If I was ever asked what kind of songs you would expect to hear on a college radio station, this is the band that comes to mind immediately. Their 2019 release, “Oncle Jazz” is the perfect backtrack for settling into a study groove. All the songs meld together and create the perfect flow that keeps you in a daze. I’ve been listening to Men I Trust the longest out of any bands mentioned here, so the memories go back to high school when “Show Me How” was always first in the driving to school queue. Their songs are filled with so much warmth and comfort that it feels as if they are speaking directly to me with their lyrics. They have the ability to make even the most simple lyrics appear deeply personal, which truly elevates their work to the next level.
In the end, I guess my definition of college kid music can be traced back to those songs that are generally upbeat but can also give you a slight ache of nostalgia if listened to alone or late at night. I’ve put together some of the songs I imagine my brother might also categorize as college kid music into a playlist that I feel encompasses the warmth attached to many of my memories so far. Hopefully, you’ll be able to understand my perspective when listening to these songs and maybe attach them to your own memories. But if not, I think it’s still a pretty good study playlist.
