Winter is undeniably upon us and won’t be leaving soon. Across all forms of life that must endure the season, we adapt to increase our chances of living to see the spring. Unable to hibernate or grow a winter coat, humans must be especially creative when trying to survive. One tactic we’ve grown to excel at is the art of song, a tool powerful enough to change the way we experience the world around us.

In the same way that a wintry landscape painting can inspire profound emotions, music that captures the feeling of an environment can build a world around the listener and create a deeply moving experience. However, while winter weather may make the world appear barren and inhospitable, people rarely allow the forces of nature alone to determine how they feel. In many cultures, the season represents warmth, light and celebration equally as much as cold, darkness and decay — a strong example of humanity’s resilience. In response to harsh elements, we emphasize creating our own refuge and music can be the force that turns any surroundings into a sanctuary.

This list contains six albums of music to help you get through the winter, some that capture the relentless bitterness of the cold season and some that offer a warm refuge from it.

“I Forget Where We Were” by Ben Howard

“I Forget Where We Were,” released in 2014, is the second full-length album released by English singer-songwriter Ben Howard, whose music is driven by innovative guitar work and sensitive lyrics. The album is like climbing a mountain, both as a whole and within each song. Its structures follow a pattern of ascension, often starting simple and building toward a cathartic crescendo. The listener trudges through a bleak glacial landscape, not ravaged by a natural winter but born from the sorrow and solitude of one man’s mind. The singer’s somber words are deepened by intimate vocals imbued with a hollowness — an absence of heat where there once was burning passion.

At its darkest moments, “I Forget Where We Were” depicts a man lost inside his own desolate soul, to whom each day feels like scaling a frozen peak. But the album doesn’t leave you in the freezing pit it has created. It pushes to the summit to offer a moment of clarity and a powerful perspective on loss. Howard’s vulnerable portrayal of an empty heart is tangible enough to provide shelter from the unfeeling torment of winter.

“WWCD” by Griselda

“WWCD” is the first album released by Griselda, a record label of hip-hop lyricists and producers hailing from Buffalo, New York. Through intricate lines delivered threateningly over icy instrumentals, the group depicts a landscape akin to Hades from Greek mythology — a frozen underworld city whose rulers wield an iron fist and effortless confidence. Rappers Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine and Benny the Butcher preside over this kingdom and the microphone.

Their gritty, detailed verses call to memory the greats of ’90s New York hip-hop such as Nas, Wu-Tang Clan and Mobb Deep, but Griselda stands out due to its unique personalities, as heard in Westside Gunn’s eccentric signature ad-libs. Instrumentals crafted by producers DaRinga and Beat Butcha envelop the album in a dark and haunting atmosphere, an eerie fog of textured percussion, pianos and strings that is pierced by the group’s explosive performances. With their debut album, Griselda gives listeners the power not only to face the brutal winter but to reign over it.

“Haunt Me, Haunt Me Do It Again” by Tim Hecker

Tim Hecker’s 2001 experimental ambient album “Haunt Me, Haunt Me Do It Again” may be the closest electronic instruments have come to encapsulating the cold season. With less than an hour of runtime, the Canadian composer manages to evoke nearly all natural aspects of winter with computerized production.

Among many sonic accomplishments that cannot be flatteringly described, the album’s glitchy, crackling hi-hats mimic the clicking and creaking of ice sheets and its soft, shimmering synths summon whispers of wind, glints of sun off white snow or perhaps even the Northern lights. “Haunt Me, Haunt Me Do It Again” offers a surreal experience of the wintertime and an opportunity to feel one with the natural world in its most unknowable form.

“Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green

The charming, joyous music of Memphis soul legend Al Green has been bringing people together for decades, and appreciation for his work has not gone unappreciated. The singer won 11 Grammy awards and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and perhaps his most beloved creation is his 1972 release “Let’s Stay Together.”

At no point in this album is there a lack of smoothness, closeness or sincerity. Triumphant horns, orchestral strings and organs are masterfully arranged to create a satiny mood that perfectly complements Green’s soft voice and loving words. Altogether, the album has a remarkable ability to warm the spirit of all who encounter it.

“Depression Cherry” by Beach House

The dream pop group Beach House is renowned for ethereal electronic instrumentation, and nowhere is their sound more mesmerizing than on “Depression Cherry,” released in 2015. The album creates an atmosphere so soothing and spacious that it is easy to become lost within it.

Members Victoria Legrand, Alex Scally and James Barone remove gravity from the air and encircle the listener in thick velvet noise as layers of soft synth chords are piled on like weighted blankets. There seems to be a neon glow emanating from Legrand’s vocals, which describe emotions and desires cryptically, the way they feel in a dream. “Depression Cherry” allows listeners to escape into an endlessly inviting trance of warm reverberation, perfect for when the cold winter is less than welcoming.

“Capacity” by Big Thief

There is simply no other way to put it — Big Thief’s music is an auditory warm hug that, for most, is needed more now than in any other time of year. All of their work is overflowing with heart, but their second album, “Capacity,” arguably displays the band at their most tender. Formed in Brooklyn in 2015, Big Thief consists of Adrianne Lenker, Buck Meek and James Krivchenia. At the time of Capacity’s release, they were also joined by Max Oleartchik.

Part of what makes Big Thief so unique is their embrace of imperfections, each song an exhibition of pure, raw humanity. Lenker’s lyrics are deeply personal, sharing pieces of her life, including intimate relationships and the most painful moments of her past. Lenker is not the only source of vulnerability, as every instrument on the album exhibits outbursts of emotion. The way each song is written and performed demonstrates an overwhelming sense of love — for life, for nature and for fellow human beings. This warm, caring outlook is woven so strongly throughout the album that it becomes contagious to the listener.