Spring metamorphoses and melts, but music regulates and relates. As time skips forward and Montrealers hesitate on whether to put their snow boots away for good, the arrival of spring relies just as much on your Spotify playlist as it does the forecast. From the number one fan of spring—stuck in a perpetual limbo of rain, snow, and the occasional sunlight peaking through the clouds, here are songs that grow flowers from the slushy, frozen sidewalks.
“Spring” by Saint Etienne
Stylish, hip, and filled with whimsy, “Spring” captures Saint Etienne’s iconic yet underrated ability to glean sounds across genres. “Spring” is electric and unique, sampling drums from James Brown and its base track from “The Time Is Right For Love” by Bobby Reed, creating a feeling of springtime optimism concurrent with ditching warm jeans for flowy skirts and sweaters for tank tops. Sarah Cracknell’s vocals, so light they almost get lost in the wind, whisper: “It’s only springtime / You’re too young to say / You’re through with love.”
“Sandy Toes” by Linda Perhacs
Hypnotic and dizzying, “Sandy Toes” by Linda Perhacs perfectly encapsulates the sunsickness that follows hours of lazing on the beach with a book and maybe a cocktail—or reentering the indoors disoriented by blotches of light. Perhacs’ layered melodies atop a mischievous guitar and a steady bongo beat give hope for simpler days on the sand, where research papers and internship applications cease to exist, at least for a few hours.
“Spring Is Coming With A Strawberry In The Mouth” by Caroline Polachek
A cover of the enchanting and cult-classic sounds of 80s-pop duo Operating Theatre, Caroline Polachek’s rendition of “Spring Is Coming With A Strawberry In The Mouth” is angsty and electrifying as Polachek whispers the opening lyrics—a letter to a friend thirsting for love. The chorus brings out her siren voice as she belts out the track’s title on repeat, transferring her hunger for love and spring to the listener. When spring knocks on your door with a strawberry as a peace offering, Polachek advises you to take it.
“Alone in Brewster Bay” by Minnie Riperton
And when the childlike hope for the sun feels unreachable, Minnie Riperton offers a hand amidst the solitude of spring snow in “Alone in Brewster Bay.” Accompanied solely by a chorus of seagulls and a soft guitar, Riperton sings, “Watch the fire die / See the snowflakes fly / Think of you, my love, so far away.” Piano and violin soon join her, but the song slows to a halt as the seagulls hawk and the guitar gently strums. Riperton’s loneliness becomes palpable yet reassuring. A ballad of introspection—or retrospection—and a yearning call for a previous lover, the seagulls don’t abandon the snow-covered beach. Instead, Riperton submits to the isolation of the in-between, and spring is made.
“Spring” by Angel Olsen
Angel Olsen’s “Spring” begins with a call to action: “Don’t take it for granted / Love when you have it / You might be looking over / A lonelier shoulder.” Confronting reflection and adulthood, spring not only becomes a period of looking to what is to come, but also what has been left behind. As the song continues, Olsen’s voice fades in and out, from side to side, as the instruments oscillate. “Spring” concludes disoriented and unsure—a reminder that following the uncertainties of spring brings the possibilities of summer.
“OH! TENGO SUERTE” by Masayoshi Takanaka
Fans often pair Masayoshi Takanaka’s “OH! TENGO SUERTE” with a viral video of Takanaka shredding on his guitar in the ocean off Phantom Islands, the breeze in his hair as the water engulfs him. From his 1976 album SEYCHELLES, the song commences with sharp guitar notes until a funky drum beat and a glowing slide guitar join the symphony, quickly bringing Takanaka’s jazz-fusion style to life. The song is summer ease, swiftly transporting the listener to beachside paradise. Amidst Montreal’s temperamental spring, it becomes impossible to feel the cold pierce your Super Puff on the way to class with Takanaka’s guitar dancing in your earbuds.
