A car driving through mountains in autumn

Artur Debat/Getty Images

Folks, autumn is nearly upon us. The weather’s already beginning to cool here in New York, and it’s only a matter of time before the trees start to turn those beautiful colors that draw leaf-peepers to go meander around the Northeast and get in everyone’s way. It’s frustrating, sure, but can you really blame them? Maybe we should all take a minute this fall to appreciate the world around us, to slow down and really look at how beautiful things get before winter. My question for today is this: What do you want to listen to while you’re doing that?

What’s the best song for putting the top down and cruising through crisp air and autumn leaves? For pairing with a pumpkin spice latte and the heat blasting with the windows down? What car should Mr. Autumn Man set himself behind the wheel of on his New England leaf peeping adventures?

I pick Tame Impala


I like a slower track in fall than I do in summer, and that’s why my pick for autumn driving music is Tame Impala’s “New Person, Same Old Mistakes.” It’s downtempo but not low-energy, it’s got great bass, and it’s altogether perfect for blasting out of a convertible as you amble through the Northeast’s most scenic hills. Those hills almost invariably contain main roads, where you will frustrate the residents who’re used to the leaves changing color, but don’t worry. They’re used to you too. 

So that’s my pick for an autumn leaf-peeping soundtrack. What’s yours? Leave your picks in the comments below, and I’ll collect my favorite answers later in the week. Bonus points for artists I don’t already know, which might be harder to find than you think, after my time spent working in radio. Introduce me to something new!