As my senior year comes to a close, I find myself reminiscing on how I have grown as a music listener at Creighton. I’ve spent quite a bit of time flipping through the CD crates in the Reinert Alumni Memorial Library, (thanks to the Rev. William Harmless, S.J.), browsing the selections of nearby records stores and using CUWireless to stream the hottest new hip-hop projects. 

My neighbors in Swanson, Kenefick and my apartment have all been subjected to my bizarre tastes. I decided that with my last Creightonian music column, I would point out some of the most memorable albums I discovered while at Creighton. 

1.The Flaming Lips – “The Soft Bulletin”

Early in my college career, I went through a phase where I tried to listen to the “best” albums ever made. I scoured dozens of critics’ lists and listened to whatever the people who got paid to write about music said was the all-time best. Everyone with a critic’s job seemed to like “The Soft Bulletin,” so I gave it a chance. Fast forward four semesters and this Flaming Lips record is one of my all-time favorites. Quick synopsis: listening to “The Soft Bulletin” feels like getting a 58-minute hug.

2.The Avalanches – “Since I Left You”

I found myself listening to the Avalanches’ only album at the high points in my college career. It’s a total “Friday” record — the perfect soundtrack to the walk out of the library after you submit a huge assignment to Blueline. “Since I Left You” also inspired me to start making my own electronic music. It was a game changer in my life as a music fan — no other way to put it.

3.Deafheaven – “Sunbather”

I definitely listened to metal in high school, (as did any responsible, angst-y teen), but I became a metalhead in college. After hearing the first minute of Deafheaven’s magnum opus “Sunbather,” in the summer of 2013, I instantly developed a renewed interest in the genre. The bay area band’s masterful blend of atmospheric black metal, shoegaze and post rock blew my 19-year-old mind.

4. Grouper – “Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill”

I listen to ambient music basically every day and firmly believe that it is the best music for de-stressing, studying or soundtracking a nap. As I delved further into the genre, I became a much more active listener. Early last year, I explored the full discography of one of my favorite ambient artists: Grouper. “Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill,” Grouper’s second album, instantly mesmerized me. I will always remember listening to it as I walked down the mall on brisk November mornings.

5. Sun Kil Moon – “Benji”

One of my good friends back home passed away during my sophomore winter break. About a month later, Mark Kozelek released “Benji,” his best album under the Sun Kil Moon name. “Benji” was crushingly personal, tackling death and loss in many of its raw folk ballads. The album is filled with rich storytelling and beautiful, minimalistic instrumentation. I was lucky that “Benji” came conveniently while I was mourning a loss.

Thank you for reading my column over the past three semesters. I have had a blast writing about music.  It is my hope that you have discovered at least one song that you love.