It’s nearing the end of another semester at dear old UNCW, and that means everybody’s favorite: Finals. I have never been one to study. Like ever. Lucky for me, I was blessed with a pretty retentive brain, and as long as I balanced my work well, I could go into a test remembering most everything just fine. However, college has definitely changed everything about that mindset, and now I must study, but there are still a few exceptions. I’m not the best multitasker in the world, so when I study, I must devote 100% of my time to it. There cannot be a single distraction. This sucks because if you know me, I have music playing in my ears at any moment I can get, so turning that music off to study in silence absolutely kills me. Unfortunately, my inability to focus on two things at once just doesn’t allow me to. Lyrics make me want to sing along, and I will groove to any sense of melody or rhythm — even classical music like everybody studies to, is a no-no. But in recent times, I have found a sort of middle ground — ambient music. More based on the soundscape than the overall structure, ambient music is the pretentious equivalent of listening to ocean sounds or white noise, so… just what I needed.

In the late 1970s, former member of Roxy Music and total mastermind producer Brian Eno brought ambient music to the forefront with his game-changing 1978 record “Ambient 1: Music for Airports.” On their perfect-10 review of the album, Pitchfork noted that Eno made music that “could enliven or enhance a space without overpowering it,” comparing it to “a faint stick of incense in the corner or a dim sconce glowing in the distance.” I completely agree with this statement. What makes ambient music so perfect to study and read with is how it kind of just creates a soothing environment around you to exist in for a while. I imagine a gorgeous snowcapped mountainscape without a single other breath being let out besides your own. Ambient music soundtracks every book, every study session and even the writing of this article right now.

With all that being said, I’d love to recommend five ambient albums that I deem the best to help you focus this upcoming finals season.

1. “Music for Nine Postcards” – Hiroshi Yoshimura (1982)

Emily Sprague of the band Florist (if you like studying to songs with words, I definitely recommend her band — Adrianne Lenker vibes) chose Yoshimura’s “Music for Nine Postcards” as her perfect-10 record for Pitchfork, explaining how the album explores the “powers of tones and melodies…even in its most deceptively simple form.” Composed almost entirely of simple electric piano, Yoshimura manages to create melodies that are never too overbearing and sound exactly like what the song titles suggest — water, ice, snow, clouds, dreams. The songs are almost lullaby-esque, creating the most peaceful of settings, calming you of any finals anxiety.

2. “The Pearl” – Harold Budd, Brian Eno (1984)

“The Pearl” is, without a doubt, my favorite ambient album. Coming after the release of his four-part ambient series and his critically-acclaimed “Apollo” album, Brian Eno collaborated with American composer Harold Budd for their icy 1984 record “The Pearl.” Eno’s minimalism is still in full effect on this record, but with the addition of Budd’s eerie piano playing, the two create the coldest of atmospheres. This may not bring as much peace as something like “Music for Nine Postcards” does, but it definitely fits a deep 1:00 a.m. study session in the Discovery Hall Grand Reading Room.

3. “Sakura” – Susumu Yokota (2000)

Susumu Yokota dropped into the electronic music scene of Japan in the 1980s with songs consisting of weird guitar loops with some traditional oriental flair thrown into the mix, but as his career blossomed, he moved on to a much more dance-oriented, New Order-like sound. At the turn of the 21st century, however, Yokota made an album evoking the ambient style of Japanese pioneers like the aforementioned Hiroshi Yoshimura. This album has some beat-driven songs like “Hisen” or “Genshi,” but the more subdued tracks, with their harps and angelic vocal samplings, are a true treat for the ears. Like a beautiful spring day in your headphones.

4.  “The Disintegration Loops” – William Basinski (2002)

So the story of William Basinski’s masterful work, “The Disintegration Loops,” is a bit of a sad one. In 2001, Basinski was attempting to archive some old 80s recordings of his onto analogue tape when, as the recordings were looping, “the iron oxide particles that coated the plastic tape started turning into dust,” causing the sound to crumble. At the same time, the attacks on the Twin Towers were happening outside his NYC apartment window. With a new meaning to his recordings, Basinski released “The Disintegration Tapes” and made a “soundtrack to the end of the world.” Depressing for sure, but the sound is almost celestial. Utter gorgeousness.

5. “A I A: Alien Observer” – Grouper (2011)

This last record is the black sheep of these five albums because it actually does feature vocals from the artist behind Grouper, Liz Harris. Grouper is known for her ambient approach to the pop format of music. See her 2008 album “Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill.” On “Alien Observer,” Grouper creates droning guitar soundscapes with vocals so blended into the mix that it’s difficult to catch on to what she’s saying, creating a perfect no-distractions environment. This was my soundtrack to reading Iain Reid’s “I’m Thinking of Ending Things,” if that says anything about the vibe.

It’s hard to just sit down and study. I feel like I constantly need some other source of entertainment, and honestly, ambient music is the perfect solution. It’s a little funny to listen to music that’s designed to fade into the background while it’s playing, but it’s bound to make you look cooler instead of putting on “10-Hour Rain Sounds” for focus. Or maybe just more pretentious, depending on who you ask. Either way, finals week always ends up demanding some kind of system to get through it, and this is the one that works for me. So I hope you try giving these albums a shot while you lock in because I know I will.