Bops and bangers: We gave you an album to listen to at every key location in Cambridge

If you’re like me, then you are exactly the sort of person who walks along, headphones in, pretending your music is the soundtrack to your movie-life. I’m not sure why someone would make a movie about a first-year Cambridge Classicist, but a girl can dream…

Perhaps then you’ve also thought that you haven’t quite nailed your main-character-walking-around-Cambridge playlist yet. That’s where we come in! We have found the perfect album for every key spot in Cambridge, from the heights of Castle Mound to the plains of Jesus Green…

King’s Parade

King’s Parade is a bit like the popular kid from school – always around, and always wearing something a lot trendier than you. A timeless classic, it attracts tourists, students and Humans of Cambridge alike, and so it deserves an album that reflects that!

Back to Black is a brilliant album and perfect for King’s Parade! It has a beautiful range of songs that are not only cleverly crafted, but are also defined by Amy Winehouse’s signature style – a classic that never disappoints. Here you can find the perfect song for a 1am stroll, a song for those early coffee meets at Café Nero, or a song for your next awkward Tinder date.

Castle Mound

Castle Mound is exactly the sort of place you end up at 3am because your friend convinced you that going would be “fun” and “spontaneous”, but really it’s just cold and you’re hungover. Perhaps that is a unique experience…

Despite this, it’s also a beautiful place to watch a sunset or a sunrise, and there’s a kinship you feel with all the other coffee-deprived uni students as you try and see the sun at 5 in the morning.

That’s why Abbey Road, a masterful album with its iconic cover and legendary songs, is perfectly suited to this Cambridge spot – just like the goings-on of Castle Mound, it’s a real mixed bag! It has some classics you can belt, as well as calming numbers that are perfect for those late nights.

After all, what better song is there for Castle Mound than Here Comes the Sun?!

Revs

Always on trend and always by your side, Revs is there to get you through everything from a bad essay to a breakup. With a Stud Puffin in hand, you’re sure you can do anything.

Olivia Rodrigo’s new album is taking TikTok by storm, and rightly so! With early 2000s pop-punk vibes, all the songs are great belters and perfect for honing your air-guitar skills. Like Revs, this album is cool and understands and accommodates for all those weird feelings you can’t explain.

So grab a drink and get dancing!

Boathouses

The Boathouses are a great place to read, to work out on an erg or to gossip with friends. Personally, I find that sitting by the river and watching Novice rowers avoid swans is a wonderfully relaxing past-time.

Not only is Ezra Furman’s album the soundtrack to Sex Education, it is also an absolute banger. From the upbeat to the sad to the loving, it is an album for all moods. Furman’s style is profoundly versatile, but at its core is an Indie, almost heartfelt tone; perfect for those sunny days by the river.

Mainsbury’s

Mainsbury’s is popular and essential but also comforting; the place to buy Friday night drinks, but also pesto pasta and tonnes of biscuits. Hungover uni students battle the blindingly shiny isles in search of Red Bull, and one person rapidly searches for pens they need for their test in 20 minutes.

Everyone’s favourite Eurovision winners can be the only equals to Sainos! They are cool, collected and uncommonly attractive, plus their music is brilliant. It is a short album, so it is perfect for those quick shopping trips!

Grab the eyeliner before you head out though – you’ve got to look the Maneskin part too!

Market Square

Market Square is an iconic part of Cambridge with its stalls of food, various cheeses, bikes and (somewhat strangely) hats. It is filled with everyone from students to tourists to hungover me grabbing a gyros in the hopes that chips will drive off a headache.

Harry Styles’ debut album as a solo artist is a popular album, but it maintains an acoustic-indie vibe that separates it from his previous work in One Direction. Browsing books at the market with this album really does make you feel like the main character!

Jesus Green

Ahhh the joys of Jesus Green – barbeques, tennis, some scary preteens on bikes that travel in a mob. Jesus Green has become a sort of sanctuary during Covid-times, with societies, sports teams and theatre casts all gathering on it and keeping spirits up!

Pomegranate Seeds is a rocky-style album that has some brilliant tracks. It might not be the most well-known album on this list, but it earns its place with its title song that is perfect for a summer barbeque!

And that’s it! Go out and get exploring Cambridge with your new-found main character knowledge!

Related articles recommended by this author:

• King’s College bans swimming, barbecuing and boating on Grantchester Meadows  

• 20 things I wish I knew as a 2020 Cambridge fresher 

• Friends, food, and falling in: The Tab’s ultimate guide to punting in Cambridge 

Feature image credit: Charlie Scott-Haynes