Sleep Songs

This week I've felt quite tired (and have certainly been quite busy at work and otherwise) but I've had trouble getting to sleep. One thing that usually helps is listening to some appropriate music to settle me down and pull me towards unconsciousness. Of course I have to stop my iPod and turn it off before I actually fall asleep, otherwise I wake up tangled in the headphone cord and the battery dies. But it does seem to help. So I thought today I'd list some of the music I particularly find calming and relaxing.

1. Bryter Layter, Nick Drake
A series of beautifully constructed songs featuring guitar, strings, occasional horns and of course Drake's haunting voice. Favourites include Hazy Jane 1 and 2, Northern Sky and Fly.

2. Agaetis Byrjun, Sigur Ros
An amazing album which is really something you can pick up and put down at any time. It's so different and multi layered and exciting. My favourites are Olsen Olsen, Staralfur and the incredible Viorar Vel Til Loftarasa which has the most affecting crescendo moment of almost any song I know.

3. Wincing the Night Away, The Shins
I know this album has a lot of more upbeat moments than those which are likely to encourage you to sleep, but it does also have the excellent Sleeping Lessons, Sealegs, A Comet Appears, Girl Sailor and Red Rabbits, all of which are great to wind down to.

4. Come On! Feel the Illinoise, Sufjan Stevens
Lots of instrumentation yet again (notice a common theme here?) and another series of slow and sleepy tracks with a tinge of sadness such as Casimir Pulaski Day, Chicago, Jacksonville, Decatur and John Wayne Gacy Jr. A long album though, so you do have to skip through to these tracks.

5. Brood, My Friend the Chocolate Cake
Yes, still more instrumentation! Strings again, plus David Bridie with songs like Rosetta, I've Got a Plan, Greenkeeping, Aberystwyth and Yandoit. A mixture of instrumentals and other more vocal-driven tracks.