The late summer air is warm and suffocating, buzzing with the electricity of an impending storm. It’s something that can’t be romanticized as aesthetic nor demonized as simply being bad weather. Whether or not our feelings toward the weather reflect a human need to project our chaos upon the world around us, nothing can beat listening to moody music with a storm brewing overhead. Grab your umbrella and get ready to experience the true soul of Cleveland rain.

“SleepWalker” – LEAP
Dense clouds swallow what’s left of the blue sky until your vision seems to go monochrome. Frontman Jack Scott perfectly encapsulates the terror of a world gone bleak with his lamentful vocals backed by upbeat, yet tense rock melodies. This song tackles difficult emotions such as guilt, regret and loneliness, cultivating a sense of peace when reality is quite the opposite. The paradoxical nature of LEAP’s music and eerily relatable lyrics have a hold on me that will never let go.

“Middle Of The Night” – Lenny Monsou
There’s an undeniable electricity in the air now, coupled with humidity making the ground appear damp. You wonder why it looks like the middle of the night despite the clock reading past 5 p.m. Lenny Monsou’s raspy voice drives the soul of this shoegaze-inspired track to explore the emotional vulnerabilities of our late-night minds. The indistinct guitar creates a wall of sound, drowning out the wistful lyrics and mixing perfectly with the storm’s deep, rumbling warnings.

“Flawless” – The Neighbourhood
The winds have died down, not a soul is around and even the thunder seems to have been quelled. Unfortunately, nothing this flawless lasts forever. Frontman Jesse Rutherford exposes the anxieties of waiting for the other shoe to drop when things are going too well. It’s a suffocating feeling that resembles the pin drop silence moments before a torrential downpour. His drifting vocals combined with moody guitar rhythms and visceral drum beats make this song my all-time favorite from the album even if Rutherford himself hates it for being too dramatic.

“England’s Dreaming” – Boston Manor
The silence breaks, and the dream-like state has nearly evaporated. We instead picture ourselves in England on a calm rainy day, being misted with rain. Serene, that is, until frontman Henry Cox breaks into the chorus with punchy melodies and gritty vocals. This song describes a painful sense of disconnect between oneself and the world around them, making it one of my favorites to put on when the weather begins to ramp up in intensity.

“Your Blood” – Nothing But Thieves
The rain from the worst thunderstorms always starts out laughably slow. The sky is still thick with tension, waiting for the moment where peace is replaced by pouring rain. Nothing But Thieves enmeshes this atmosphere with the agony of being trapped in a draining relationship. Frontman Conor Mason slowly builds melodic suspense through soaring vocals that beautifully convey raw despair and frustration. It’s at this moment that the sky splits open and sheets of rain begin to pour mercilessly.

“Bacalar” – Dead Poet Society
As the storm recedes and the world goes back to normal, the clouds begin to lighten. What remains is an air of sadness that doesn’t really make sense. This track creates the haunting sense of grief that ensues after leaving a special place, paired with a guitar sound reminiscent of being underwater and Jack Underkofler’s piercing vocals. Alternative and hard rock band Dead Poet Society is masterful at making the listener really feel something, and listening to this song when I was leaving home for the first time was an emotional storm in and of itself.

“Eternity” – Telescreens
The clouds never truly recede, hiding the sun behind them even as night approaches, every color a shade darker than it was before. This seven minute song ponders the bigger picture of life, from relationships to belonging to existential purpose, with raw and emotional vocals from frontman Jackson Hamm. There’s no better song to fall asleep to as the clouds fade into a starless night sky, leaving you with a feeling of acceptance.

In Cleveland, it sometimes feels like these storm clouds last for an eternity. And even so, the storm feels ever-returning at times like these. Perhaps we should use it as a moment to slow down for a beat and take in this moment.