The 25 Best Spring Albums of All Time

“Spring was moving in the air above and in the earth below and around him… Something up above was calling him imperiously… Hither and thither through the meadows he rambled busily, along the hedgerows, across the copses, finding everywhere birds building, flowers budding, leaves thrusting – everything happy, and progressive, and occupied.” (The Wind In The Willows, Kenneth Grahame, 1908)

Spring is – or at least, should be – calling as we arrive in April. The trouble is, this season is more of a gradual unfolding than a definite moment. We might associate spring with flowers bursting through the soil, but snowdrops were making their first blooms in early January. Other flowers gradually follow… and then there’s a blizzard, the temperature drops again, and the flowers find themselves frost-bound. The gradual lengthening of days gets a turbo-boost when the clocks go forward, and we’re in a whole new season overnight. For a meteorologist, spring starts on March 1st; for calendar watchers, it’s the equinox on the 21st or 22nd of the same month. We’re hedging our bets that spring will have sprung by early April, so we’re compiling our favourite Spring records for your entertainment.

We’ve written about Winter (Richard, twice) and Summer (Jeremy) before, so here’s the season where we pool our resources and list our picks alphabetically. The premise is simple: as with previous articles, these are the records that make us think of Spring. Sometimes these albums have been inspired by the season; other times, the music reminds us of this time of year.

More often than not, this is optimistic music that looks forward rather than back. It’s no coincidence that Easter, Holi and May Day fall within this time frame. Think growth, renewal, and transition. Remember the abundant sounds of nature: birds calling, leaves on trees, lambs in fields. There’s a giddy rush to ensure the next generation has warmth and food to survive and grow. As people, we (try to) slough off old habits and adopt new traditions – it’s easier to do this now than at New Year. We can embark on Spring cleaning, or – like the mole – say ‘hang the sense of it’ and rush outside for discovery and adventure.

A couple of honourable mentions before we begin. It would be remiss of us not to mention Talk Talk. There are Spring-centric songs across their run of albums from The Colour Of Spring (“April 5th”) through Spirit Of Eden (“Inheritance”) to Laughing Stock (“Ascension Day” and probably “New Grass”). All three albums (plus Mark Hollis’s solo LP) are worth checking if you’re unfamiliar with them. We will also point you towards The Wicker Man; not the remake (obviously) but the original British film starring Edward Woodward and Christopher Lee. The soundtrack is an excellent introduction to the world of British folk songs with a particular focus on Spring: you should investigate both come May Day.

Please let us know in the comments if there are any Spring-themed records that we haven’t included, but for now enjoy our list of The 25 Best Spring Albums of All Time!

Alcest ~ Souvenirs d’un Autre Monde (Prophecy Productions, 2007)
Alcest’s debut release is a springtime metal album with more than a hint of shoegaze. A solo project at the time of this recording, the French group were shaking off their black metal background and embracing a more hazy sound for Souvenirs d’un Autre Monde. It’s perfect for livening up those dull grey mornings with an unexpected frost underfoot, when you regret answering the alarm and rolling out of bed. The opening track “Printemps Émeraude” captures the season perfectly: ‘The undergrowth during spring is a celestial vault’ goes the translation of the opening line. An uplifting album, full of light and magic. (Jeremy Bye)

Bibio ~ The Green EP (Warp, 2014)
Bibio occupies a musical world bordered by English pastoral folk on the one side and euphoric disco on the other; the rural day and the urban night. When he’s closer to the former style, there’s an unmistakable sense of Springtime; birds sing, brooks babble, and nature unfurls. It feels like there’s a new record every May (which we know to be untrue because we checked the release dates). Stephen Wilkinson has assembled quite the discography, making it difficult to choose a representative work. We’ve gone for The Green EP, with its bucolic ambient feel, fewer vocals and an atmosphere so thick you can almost lay back on it and watch the river roll past. (Jeremy Bye)

Jon Brooks ~ How To Get To Spring (Clay Pipe Music, 2020)
We didn’t quite realise it at the time, but this was probably the most prescient album of 2020, arriving a couple of weeks into the pandemic lockdown. Silence reigned in the streets, schools closed their doors, and people discovered that missing out on the commute and working from home was more beneficial than they realised. Proving that nature abhorred a vacuum, birds and animals moved into spaces vacated by humans; flowers grew wild. It was a moment gone too soon, but Cate Brooks’ work provided a perfect soundtrack to that Spring and still takes us back there whenever we play it. How to get back to Spring? Ditch the car and start cycling again. (Jeremy Bye)

Children Of Alice ~ Children Of Alice (Warp, 2017)
If most of our choices here tap into the positive and uplifting moments that Spring provides, this album offers something of a flipside. It contains four tracks, originally recorded for Folklore Tapes, by the trio of Julian House (The Focus Group), James Cargill and Roj Stevens (both from Broadcast). There is a continual sense of the unsettling and sinister in these sound collage pieces (think Nurse With Wound but with a folkier bent). This album captures the human response to the seasons’ changing – and it’s not always pretty. You might get an invite to the party, sure, but you might also be the evening’s sacrifice. (Jeremy Bye)

Coil ~ Spring Equinox (Eskaton, 1998)
Coil celebrated the seasons of 1997 with four EPs, recording one on each of the solstices and equinoxes, releasing them exactly one year later. Spring Equinox was the first to arrive, containing the two-part track “Moon’s Milk; Or Under An Unquiet Skull.” It’s quickly apparent that Coil’s take on the season isn’t full of the joys of spring – although we can sense that it was recorded in the small hours one cold March night. The first half is a crunchy, industrial drone piece where we say goodbye to the cold and frost. The second half is where we welcome the warmth of the season, ushered in on William Breeze’s viola (we think); it’s a lyrical way to capture these days of change. All four EPs were collected on the Moon’s Milk compilation which is ripe for a reissue. (Jeremy Bye)

Blair Coron ~ On the Nature of Things (Self-Released, 2019)
Blair Coron’s debut album starts very softly, like the leaves of a crocus; but don’t turn the music up ~ the volume will grow on its own, just as the crocus will bloom.  From solo piano to full orchestra, this elegant album sings of spring.  When the strings subside mid-album, a poet steps forth, then a choir.  The sombre, barely-there “Doom” leads to the nineteen-minute title track, which turns into a dance track toward the end before wrapping back to the beginning, musing on the passage of time, the cycles of seasons and the nature of things.  (Richard Allen)

Izabela Dłużyk ~ Soundscapes of Spring (LOM, 2017)
With only 25 albums on this list, it’s easy to recommend them all ~ but this one is my favorite.  The artist, blind since birth, has a “particular sensitivity to sound,” highlighted on this recording from the Bialowieza primeval forest, Siemianowka lake and Biebrza marshes.  Across the course of this continuously flowing mix, listeners will meet the blackcap, the mistle thrush, the golden oriole and many other species of bird, bug and frog, along with a hare and an agitated dog.  The soundscape tells a story, while implying an even larger story: there are more sounds in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our philosophy.  (Richard Allen)

Mort Garson ~ Mother Earth’s Plantasia (Homewood Records, 1976)
When we think of Spring, we think of plants: flowers budding, leaves on trees, and that possibly unwise decision to buy some houseplants. Butterflies and bees will soon be perching on the edge of petals; animals will chomp down on grass that has begun growing again now the temperature has increased. We’ve picked out this collection of synth miniatures by Mort Garson, subtitled Warm Earth Music for Plants… and the People Who Love Them. The popular thought when Mother Earth’s Plantasia was released was that flowers respond to being played music (an idea that still has some validity). Garson’s work will suit both humans and plants; it’s an often jaunty journey that, unlike Stevie Wonder’s contemporary Secret Life Of Plants, doesn’t overstay its welcome. (Jeremy Bye)

Beverly Glenn-Copeland ~ Keyboard Fantasies (Atlast Records, 1986)
‘Welcome the Spring and Summer rain…’ sings Beverly Glenn-Copeland on “Ever New”, the opening track of Keyboard Fantasies. Originally released on limited-run cassette in 1986, this album was rediscovered and reissued over 30 years later. As such, the work is shot through with the feeling of creating joyous music without caring if there’s an audience out there or otherwise. The vocal tracks are life-affirming, and the instrumental pieces allow the listener to create their own images. It may have sounded somewhat dated in the years after release, but the synths used (notably a DX7) sound fresh once again; proof that, like the seasons, everything is cyclical. (Jeremy Bye)

Green-House ~ Six Songs For Invisible Gardens (Leaving Records, 2020)
In a manner similar to Mort Garson writing hymns to plants in the 1970s, Green-House composes pieces that celebrate flowers over 40 years later. Six Songs For Invisible Gardens is less obviously synthy, though and Olive Ardizoni layers their pieces on a bed of natural sound; we’re no longer just looking at plants but, thanks to the field recordings, we are in their environment. It’s a lovely place to be; we can feel the sun beating down, giving life and energy to everything that surrounds us, and that – in turn – gives us life and energy. It is, in every sense, a lush and verdant experience. (Jeremy Bye)

The Green Kingdom ~ Springhill (Hidden Vibes, 2020)
Having picked a recording name that yells nature, we would think that Michael Cottone would have recorded more Spring-themed works; yet he tends towards Autumn in his compositions. Technically, Springhill isn’t about the season either – it’s a neigbourhood, rather than a hill in spring – but “Mayloops” and “Heron Flight” have been staples of my Spring playlists for a couple of years now, so the album gets to be included on our list. It’s a lovely, understated work, full of subtle melodies and airy spaces. If you’re stuck inside, this will transport you to where the sun warms the leaves, the birds dart through the air, and the riverbank is alive. (Jeremy Bye)

Koen Holtkamp ~ Field Rituals (Type, 2008)
The debut solo release for the Mountains man, Field Rituals is a gently undulating album of ambient and drone. There are moments when it just shimmers, like the earth warming up after an April shower. There are a handful of more concise works alongside three lengthy tracks, but they are all imbued with calm and delicate arrangements. This is music that takes its time to unwind and evolve, but throughout there’s a feeling of positivity, light and air – of springtime, we would suggest. (Jeremy Bye)

Bert Jansch ~ Avocet (Exlibris / Charisma, 1978)
In which the legendary folk guitarist teams up with former Pentangle bandmate Danny Thompson (double-bass), and they form a trio with Martin Jenkins on mandocello, violin and flute. Avocet is arguably Bert Jansch’s finest album – and he recorded a few classics in his time – and his only completely instrumental work (we think). The six tracks here are named after birds, from “Bittern” to “Kingfisher,” with Jansch composing pieces that attempt to capture the spirit of the birds in question. You might think ‘pastoral’ – we’d go with ‘vernal’. It’s fresh, lively, and youthful, delighting in nature and the sense of rebirth. (Jeremy Bye)

Lullatone ~ The Sounds of Spring (Self-Released, 2015)
Does anyone have more fun than Lullatone?  The couple, who also appears on our Best Winter Albums and Best Summer Albums lists, has just completed the hat trick; and one might reasonably expect the remaining EP, Falling for Autumn, to follow suit once we get to that season.  This lovely quartet leads us through the year by highlighting simple pleasures, in this case “waking up on a picnic blanket,” “origami tulips” and “a sky full of hot air balloons.”  The mood is sprightly and upbeat throughout, with whistling, xylophones and contagious, childlike joy.  (Richard Allen)

Martina Testen / Simon Šerc ~ Biodukt (Pharmafabrik Recordings, 2020)
I love this quote from Jeremy’s introduction above: “Sometimes these albums have been inspired by the season; other times, the music reminds us of this time of year.”  For me, Biodukt, released the day the world shut down (March 12, 2020) will forever be forever with the pandemic, but in a good way.  The album speaks of the forest and its natural rhythms over the course of a day, from sunrise to sunset, a reminder of seasons and cycles both physical and metaphorical: a solace and an encouragement, wrapped up in a virtual spring.  (Richard Allen)

Melodía ~ Saudades (Own Records, 2013)
Playing this album makes me miss Own Records, a sparkling imprint that shut down while still in its prime.  Melodía is one of its many fine releases, a pairing of Federico Durand and Tomoyoshi Date.  From the fawns on the cover to the music boxes of the opening piece, the album makes an instant impression of a gentle spring.  This tone continues throughout, a sweet selection of field recordings providing context to the gorgeous music.  While saudade is described as a feeling of nostalgia, coupled with the understanding that the object of one’s nostalgia may never return, the LP is a reminder that new seasons replace the old, offering value of their own.  (Richard Allen)

Paavoharju ~ Laulu laakson kukista (Fonal, 2008)
One of the most elaborate and unusual albums on our list, Laulu laakson kukista (A song about flowers of the valley) is a fairy tale, a fever dream, a phantasmagorical journey.  Drenched in field recordings and samples, fragments of melody and snatches of song, this sonic collage deserves to be heard as a whole.  It sounds like the one special day when all of the flowers suddenly burst into bloom, the trees set forth their leaves, the bunnies and lambs frolic in the meadow and the entire village pours into the streets for an impromptu celebration.  (Richard Allen)

Daniel Pioro ~ Dust (Bedroom Community, 2019)
Ralph Vaughan Williams holds the top spot in our Best Winter Albums with the Sinfonia Antartica, but arguably his best-known piece – composed some 30 years previously – is The Lark Ascending. Inspired by the song of the skylark, it can transport the listener to a lonely moor or fellside, the sun beating down one Spring afternoon as the lark flies above. Originally for piano and violin, it is more familiar in the orchestral arrangement. We’ve gone for the version on Daniel Pioro’s debut album, Dust, where it closes an excellent programme of more recent compositions played on violin with electronic backing. Pioro’s lyrical violin has room to swoop and hover above a minimal backing of organ, cello and viol. It’s a beautiful version – like hearing the piece for the first time again. (Jeremy Bye)

Rain Drinkers ~ Springtide (Reverb Worship, 2011)
Whatever happened to Rain Drinkers?  The mysterious duo from Madison, Wisconsin appeared on the scene in 2010 and disappeared in 2014, leaving behind a gorgeous discography that touched on all seven of our primary genres, often within a single work.  Springtide was the duo’s fifth of eight releases, rightfully compared to GY!BE, thanks to symphonic segments and surging guitar.  While many associate post-rock with summer, the nothing-to-everything, valley to mountain nature of such music makes it suitable for spring: and that’s exactly what happens here.  (Richard Allen)

Shūnya ~ Birth and Death (Self-Released, 2016)
Birth and Death is an album of cycles, written after the artist’s father died and his son was born.  The compositions are complex, yet the tone is bright, decorated by an array of music boxes and glockenspiels.  Charming segments abound, especially as Baby laughs in “Raindrops.”  The music creates room for hope: new life, new seasons, new perspectives, and most of all a sense of wonder.  The spiritual overtones offer comfort while Nisha’s occasional vocals act as lullabies: not only for children, but for anyone stuck in winter, yearning for an emotional spring.  (Richard Allen)

Son Clair ~ Birdsong (Self-Released, 2012)
This is one of the first releases we ever reviewed, and we remember it still.  The physical edition was handmade, wrapped in bird species paper.  The sounds are incredibly crisp, recorded “from a bench in St Leonards Gardens in St Leonards-on-Sea,” and then layered and reassembled to create soundscapes of spring.  The EP is an invitation to head outside, to find one’s own bench in a park, to drink in the sounds of the season, perhaps to begin a bird watcher’s journal so that one might learn the names of these incredible singers.  (Richard Allen)

Spring in a Small Town ~ S/T (flau, 2020)
A lovely springtime album that somehow escaped our notice on release, Spring in a Small Town is a love letter to the “ancient woodland and provincial villages of Kent.” The musical vibe is warm and welcoming, an invitation to visit, even to move there.  One can hear the villagers welcoming spring: the birds chirping, the children playing, the April showers filling the stream: all to a gorgeous array of beats.  More than anything, the album feels like home.  But don’t just take our word for it ~ listen to the residents, who calls Hrlsey “a perfect place to raise a family.”  (Richard Allen)

Valotihkuu ~ Spring and All (Self-Released, 2017)
This is the album that brought Valotihkuu to the attention of Whitelabrecs, who would then bring his name to the (ambient) masses.  The proportion of field recordings to music is significant, as the artist prefers to let nature do the talking, occasionally interjecting a passage of meditative guitar, chime or loop.  It is as if he is saying, “This is how spring sounds; now this is how spring makes me feel.”  Wind and rain, children and trains are reminders of a peaceful, bucolic time that may never have existed in real life, but continues to live in the imagination.  (Richard Allen)

V/A ~ Folklore Tapes Calendar Customs Vol. II ~ Merry May (Folklore Tapes, 2015)
Later collected as part of the Calendar Customs Box Set, Merry May is a splendid delve into ancient traditions, a reminder of Maypole dancing and other neglected customs that might help to revive them in a new era.  As the cows are milked on the Isle of Mull, one thinks, “Don’t cows make milk year-round?”  The answer is, “Yes – if they’ve recently given birth.”  And birth, of course, reminds us of spring.  The pipers pipe, the processions begin, the villagers cheer, and a new season enters its ripest period.  (Richard Allen)

George Winston ~ Winter Into Spring (Windham Hill, 1982)
To underline the fluid nature of the boundaries between Winter and Spring, George Winston devotes an album to this period of uncertainty. Whoever designed the cover opted for the Spring side of the season; the sky is blue, and there are flowers in the field – there are even leaves on the tree photographed on the back cover. Winston guides us through the changing months, his piano conjuring up icicles and storms at sea, leading eventually to warmer days and blossom on the trees. The music eases into calmer tempos, with more space between the notes, as the cold months give way to sunshine and rebirth. (Jeremy Bye)