10 Sleeves That Deliver All the Vibes for Your Many Moods

Madison McFerrin, Magdalena Bay, Supertramp and more

Some album art speaks to the spirit and the soul. Here, we look at a collection of diverse covers that delight, inspire, sadden, frighten and mystify—much like the music within.

The Beatles

Magical Mystery Tour (1967)

Growing up, I took to writing lyrics all over the walls of my bedroom. I would estimate 80 percent of them were from Beatles songs. Much has been documented about the choices made on their album covers, like the eclectic crew (Carl Jung, Karl Marx, Shirley Temple, etc.) on Sgt. Pepper’s. We cannot forget the “Paul is Dead” conspiracy on Abbey Road. And there’s the gory “butcher cover” from Yesterday and Today that was censored in American record stores. 

Therefore, I want to shout out Magical Mystery Tour. Their psychedelic era was fraught with interpersonal strife—but aesthetically, it makes me so happy, and I love the imagery of a roving tour of mystery and magic. I’m always impressed by how dedicated to playfulness they were, in opposition to a mainstream culture that was scandalized by stuff like their haircuts. And I have been known to get into a mood where “Blue Jay Way” is the only song I can vibe with.

Troye Sivan 
Something to Give Each Other (2023)

This album was Summer 2024 for me. So much so, that I got one of those videos from Troye Sivan in my Spotify Wrapped. I also snagged tickets for the Sweat Tour with Troye and Charli XCX and got to see the “Rush Dance” IRL! There’s actually a sweet story about this cover. The album celebrates “dance, sweat, community, queerness, love and friendship.” So, Sivan wanted an image where his smile was genuine. But he feels awkward smiling in photos. So, he got this shot by having his friend apply tickles.

Indigo de Souza

Younger and Dumber (2023)

Her mom painted this, as well as a bunch of her other album covers. They all feature these two skeletons that Indigo says she thinks of as herself and her mom “growing and embracing each other in death.”

Magdalena Bay

Imaginal Disk (2024)

This is where I find out the singer’s name isn’t Magdalena—and they are actually a duo called Mica and Matthew. This is also where I learn the cover is a reference to the story of the album. It is about a fictional character named True who has a CD inserted into her head. That way, begins to transform into her ideal self.

Phillip Glass

Glassworks (1982)

I had to look this up, but I am shocked he was born with the last name Glass. Kismet. The reflections mirror the repetitive, meditative nature of the postmodern sounds he creates. “Floe” is the standout for me. But one time I listened to it when I was grocery shopping, and it was way too intense. So, beware. 

Nina Simone

Here Comes the Sun (1971)

Nina Simone is singular in the tenderness she can create with her voice and her interpretation of songs. Her cover of “Here Comes the Sun” sounds like a crack of light shining through winter. And the song “Mr. Bojangles”—oh my, the way her voice breaks. The best artist to listen to when you’re sad.

Sam Smith

In the Lonely Hour (2014)

If Nina Simone is the master of tenderness and heartbreak, Sam Smith is the master of vulnerability and pity. Sam is always down bad and doesn’t mince words about it. And I will always respect the honesty. I find their earnestness very irresistible, and they have the pipes. Remember “Latch?” Even my most musically pretentious friends can’t resist that song.

Madison McFerrin

I Hope You Can Forgive Me (2023)

Madison is the daughter of legendary vocal improviser Bobby McFerrin. I found her when Broad City used her collab with Photay, “Otre Lux,” in one of the show’s few wistful moments. This album in particular is special to me because I saw her perform it live and bought it on vinyl. It has since gone platinum in my living room. Her voice is very silky, and her songs are too. My favorite here is “Fleeting Melodies.”

Supertramp

Breakfast in America (1979)

“Goodbye Stranger” is one of those songs you listen to in the car with your dad growing up, and you’re like, “Yeah, yeah whatever.” And then one day you mature and realize it slaps. The piano before the chorus genuinely makes me giddy. I also always laugh at the line “the devil is my savior,” because it is so out of pocket given the tone of the song. The album’s packaging won a Grammy in 1980. It’s a New York City waitress styled like the Statue of Liberty, with the skyline represented as salt shakers, ketchup bottles, etc. Three of the songs explicitly satirize America. But apparently, Supertramp claimed the album as a whole isn’t a satire of America. As someone who loves to make fun and be made fun of, this album does it with levity and joy.

Bo Burnham

Inside (2021)

In his 2016 special Make Happy (which I wish he released as an album), Bo sings a song called “Can’t Handle This” that blew my mind. I didn’t realize you were allowed to be so funny and so dark in the same song. After that, he took a step back from comedy and got quite serious, and I feared he’d be in hermit mode forever. Then he got trapped in his house and released this devastating lockdown album in 2021. My favorites are “Content” and “30,” a song about aging that includes lines like “When he was 27, my grandad fought in Vietnam, when I was 27, I built a birdhouse with my mom.”

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