Track of the Day

Track of the Day: ‘Golden Hour’ by Podington Bear

By Rosa Inocencio Smith
Saved Stories
Editor’s Note: This article previously appeared in a different format as part of The Atlantic’s Notes section, retired in 2021.

For those struggling back to productivity after the long weekend, reader Barbara has several recommendations—starting with the soundtrack to a Washington Post video about Hawaii’s Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument:

I really liked the music that was used, but the credit was remarkably unhelpful: “Podington Bear.” No track name or album name. Some exploring did not identify the track, but it did inform me that Podington is Chad Crouch, who has a lot of ambient music available online. I listened to the album Springtime more than once—I like the cheerful aspect, and sometimes I work best with a little bounciness to goose me to more productivity. The tracks are short, but “Sidecar” and “Transmogrify” are fun, and “Golden Hour” [embedded above] is lush and relaxing. Several albums are on the Free Music Archive, which was also a new discovery for me.

I listened to “Golden Hour” a few times this morning, and can confirm both bounciness and relaxation. Back to Barbara’s list:

Going back to the first post for music to work by, I’d like to note that the piece by Fauré is one of my all-time favorites. I class it in a category of classical music I refer to as serenades, even though the pieces aren’t all titled serenade. Among my favorites are Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings (for the best lush sound, the Philadelphia Orchestra), Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Elgar’s Serenade for Strings, Barber’s Adagio for Strings, Vaughn Williams’s Fantasia, A Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture by Mendelssohn, “Für Elise” by Beethoven [previously featured on Track of the Day here], Finlandia by Sibelius and his Serenades No. 1 and No. 2, The Moldau by Smetana, and Dvorak’s Serenade for Strings. I have the impression that the Dvorak is a less well-known piece compared to the Tchaikovksy or Barber's Adagio, but it is one I find particularly satisfying. It’s also long enough to allow me to work, read, or listen for a while before coping with a transition to something else.

(Submit a song via hello@. Track of the Day archive here. Pre-Notes archive here.)