I should perhaps refrain from using the pages of The Gazelle as therapy sessions. Not today though. Today marks the beginning of the first wave of exam season, a virus so prevalent that no vaccine has been discovered against it yet. With tests and quizzes and proposals and final drafts due at 11:59 pm each day of the week, the urge to go lie down on the grass field above D1, stare at the sky, and listen to deeply saddening or angry vent music has finally overruled all rational thought. It is probably why this week you will have the pleasure of browsing through the most grim and meditative music recommendations across all issues of the music column.

Raven by Kelela (released on Feb. 10)

A new discovery for me, Kelela brings ethereal sophistication to the RnB genre. In her new record Raven, she deftly employs synths to complement her soft vocals that transport us to the 1980s and into the distant 2080s at the same time. The product is an album that belongs both to a study session in the library study rooms and at a dance rave. It might turn out to be one of the best releases of the year in the genre.

This Stupid World by Yo La Tengo (released on Feb. 10)

Indie rock band Yo La Tengo returns with a new release that is more distortion-riffs powered than most of their previous records. The melody is in stark contrast with the gentle vocals in an almost panic-inducing way. It seems they have abandoned their typical jazz-y undertones and have replaced them with post-punk psychedelia. This Stupid World is a brave jump into uncharted territory for the band that turns out to be on the right path to critics’ hearts.

Hex by Bark Psychosis (released on Feb. 14, 1994)

The first YouTube comment underneath a playlist with the full album (in the correct order, too, which is rare on the video-sharing platform) says “Hex is not just an album, it is a life-changing experience.” I could not agree more. I am not going to pretend I knew about Bark Psychosis prior to my research for this edition of the Music Column. It is almost out of desperation that I decided to give it a try: the album cover reminded me enough of the ones on Dire Straits’s Communique, Goran Bregovic’s soundtrack to the film Arizona Dream, and distantly of Pearl Jam’s Yield to intrigue me to listen to it. It is indeed all of these, somehow mashed together with perfect consistency and taste. The eerie vibe of Arizona Dream’s soundtrack, the crisp guitar solos, reminiscent of Mark Knopfler on Dire Straits’s discography, and the sad and angry grunge of the 90s. Hex offers a bit of all this and then some more early-Millennial depression, anxiety and soulfulness. Not for the faint of heart and not for the party animals either, it is quite the hit or miss, but I hope you give it a try.

Lighting Up the Sky by Godsmack (to be released on Feb. 24)

American hard rock band Godsmack are preparing a new release for Feb. 24. For the fans of loud guitars, raspy, almost-screamo vocals, and electrifying drum beats, Lighting Up the Sky looks like it will not disappoint. If that is not exactly what you are looking for, the band usually releases acoustic covers of their most successful singles, so stay tuned for those.