The Album That Will Always Remind Me of Sophomore Year | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

The Album That Will Always Remind Me of Sophomore Year

The tracks remind me of being introspective and growing as a person.

13
The Album That Will Always Remind Me of Sophomore Year

Upon even the smallest glance through an iTunes Library, most people can acknowledge a certain song that reminds them of a specific time in their life. Music has the capacity to evoke many different emotions, even those not necessarily reflected by a given song. As I was sorting through old playlists from college last week, I dug up and began listening to a long-time favorite: “You’re Always On My Mind,” the sophomore album of Brooklyn-based band A Great Big Pile Of Leaves.

I first heard A Great Big Pile Of Leaves on a local college radio station in August of 2013. The song “Back To School" really resonated with me in my weeks before actually going back to school for my second year of college, and I began to realize that I had stumbled upon a keeper. I brought the album with me as I settled into my suite later that month, and immediately it became the soundtrack to the school year. Seven of my fraternity brothers and I made the hypothetically cool choice of rooming together in an eight-person suite (two per room) and sharing a living room. In the “Eight-Man” as we dubbed it, things were loud, company was always over and at least one person could always be found sitting on the living room couch, ready for an adventure. Tracks one through four on the album really seem to highlight this for me. From the brutal and tired honesty of “Snack Attack," to the realization that living with people isn't easy in “Pet Mouse," these were songs that would get stuck in our heads, and quickly become anthems for the Eight-Man. After track five, “Back To School,” “You Are Always On My Mind” really begins to examine how relationships affect one’s own life. The all-too-familiar feeling not being on the same page as everyone else is reflected in songs like “Egocentrism” and “Ambiversion.” While many songs focus on love, the song “Fun In The Sun” really hits home with the line “losing it, / even though I never had it.” Sophomore year had a lot of time devoted to introspection about lifestyles (track nine, ”Locus Of Control”) and careers (track 10, “Pizzanomics”). Most of us in the suite really had no clue what real life was going to be like, much less how hard the next few semesters would be.

A lot has changed since Sophomore year. None of us living in the suite could have ever realized how little we would all hang out after the two semesters under the same roof. While we all still saw each other plenty of times during the week, schedules conflicted and sleeping more than six hours a night began to triumph over 2 a.m. Whataburger adventures. Over half of us already graduated, which makes spending time together an even more difficult task. While living with seven other dudes was a grimy, crazy experience, it is certainly an experience that I’ll remember for the rest of my life. Looking back on it after graduation, each track on “You’re Always On My Mind” reminds me of so many times when we would stay up until four in the morning for no apparent reason and skip classes the very next day to drive to the river. The tracks remind me of being introspective and growing as a person. Most of all, “You’re Always On My Mind” reminds me of how much I miss the antics of the Eight-Man, and how much David, Adrian, Stiles, Dustin, Cason, Rudi and Andres are always on my mind.

Bonus Track: "Learning Curves"

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

1842
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

448368
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

21009
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Moana's Top 10 Life Tips

"Moana" is filled with life lessons that involve far more than finding true love as many other Disney movies do.

44132
Animated image of a woman with long dark hair and tattoos
StableDiffusion

1. It's easy to be fooled by shiny things.

Digital image of shiny gemstones in cased in gold. shiny things StableDiffusion

Tamatoa created a liar filled with shiny things simply for the purpose of tricking fish to enter and become his food. He too experiences a lesson in how easy it is to be tricked by shiny things when Moana distracts him by covering herself in glowing algae so Maui can grab his hook.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments