ChromaticSo(u)l

I don't want to pretend I'm _old_, but if there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's how enjoyable it is to take things a little more slowly.

Why rush to catch a train when you can calmly wait for the next one?

Rina Sawayama - Sawayama Explore songs, recommendations, and other album details for Sawayama by Rina Sawayama. Compare different versions and buy them all on Discogs.

things I've heard in pop music. I was somewhat torn on which of her albums to cover, but these two tracks might be the highlight of her discography for me. Also, this album has some straight-up bangers like "Comme Des Garçons". Please give it a listen!

Link: www.discogs.com/master/17202...
(3/3)

does this song a disservice; It is a full song on the singer's frustrations and anxieties around climate change in a way I really resonate with. If that was the hook, then "Bad Friend" was both the line *and* sinker. The vocoder-like stack and harmonies on the chorus are one of the best-
(2/3)

Cover art for Rina Sawayama's album "Sawayama". It's a photograph of the singer, adorned with body art, jewelry, and a very elaborate hairstyle. Sawayama is looking directly at the viewer with a hard-to-read, somewhat distant expression. The jewelry on her earrings glitters in a way reminiscent of older works of film and photography. The colour palette is mostly champagne and gold colours, with the dark colours of her eyes and hair standing out especially. It evokes an air of opulence to me; It highlights the untraversable gap between her world of glamour and our own. This is in stark contrast to the themes on the music, which are very personal and somewhat vulnerable.

For week 29 we've got "Sawayama" by, you'll never guess, British-Japanese singer-songwriter Rina Sawayama! This (self-titled?) pop album was introduced to me by a good friend, and I was immediately hooked when I heard "Fuck This World". It might be listed as an 'interlude', but I think that-
🧵(1/3)

Carly Rae Jepsen - The Loneliest Time Explore songs, recommendations, and other album details for The Loneliest Time by Carly Rae Jepsen. Compare different versions and buy them all on Discogs.

attempt to 1-up Charlie Puth, and the title track is a wonderful retro journey with a great feature from Rufus Wainwright. Please do give this album -by another early 2010's pop star that deserves more credit- a listen!
(3/3)

Link: www.discogs.com/master/2831843-Carly-Rae-Jepsen-The-Loneliest-Time

Cover art for Carly Rae Jepsen's "The Loneliest Time". It's a photograph (or a painting, maybe even both) of the singer looking back at us. Jepsen is dressed in a partially translucent, elegant looking gown. Her hand rests on a table, featuring an assortment of fruits, flowers, and leaves that look straight out of an old painting. The artist's and album's names are written in white along the middle left. It's a warm composition of mostly earthy oranges and browns, with hints of off-white and leafy green. To me, it evokes the image of an aristocrat stuck in the past. There is an old-timey, retro-yet-high-class feeling to the piece; A loneliness for those of a high class, yet loneliness all the same.

TikTok, of all places; "The Loneliest Time" features the strong pop hooks I've long since come to expect from her, maybe even her best ones yet! "Shooting Star" in an infectious dance-pop song that I find myself pressing repeat on all the time, "Joshua Tree" I can only imagine is the singer's-
(2/3)

Continuing on from last week's post; Owl City had another big hit after his first, one with Canadian pop singer Carly Rae Jepsen. Neither have been in the spotlight much since then, as far as the general public is concerned, but in 2022 she released an album that gained some notice on-
(1/3) 🧵

Owl City - Ocean Eyes Explore songs, recommendations, and other album details for Ocean Eyes by Owl City. Compare different versions and buy them all on Discogs.

Matthew Thiessen trade lines over a banger instrumental of guitars and synths. I also want to highlight the bonus track "Sunburn" for being just plain cute! This album has some genuinely good pop hooks for those willing to overlook the overplay of one song!

Link: www.discogs.com/master/20617...

the first albums I was obsessed with. Beyond the big single, though, there are some really good electronic pop cuts here! Look at "Vanilla Twilight", which has the rare honour of pulling off a 'truck driver key change' with grace, or the closer "Tidal Wave"; Here, Young and co-producer
(2/3)

Cover art for Owl City's album "Ocean Eyes". It features a wide shot of the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai, overlooking the Persian Gulf. The stark white of the building blends somewhat into the clouds, which in turn blend into a deep blue sky. This is bordered in a speckled white, giving the impression of being a painting on a canvas. The album and artists name are placed near the top right in white lettering. The photograph looks hyper real; edited to sell a feeling of adventure and open ocean, not unlike what a marketing still would do.

Okay hear me out. Many might be sick of the one big song from this record, no doubt in part to its ubiquity in supermarket playlists, but Owl City's "Ocean Eyes" is worthy of your attention! This album by American singer-songwriter Adam Young was formative for me in many ways, being one of-
(1/3)

Cover art for Satoko Shibata's album "Your Favorite Things". It is a picture of the singer standing before a body of water (likely the ocean). The depth-of-field creates the impression that said water is far away from the camera. She's wearing a coat, a bright red scarf, and glasses and is looking at the camera. The position of the sun makes it somewhat difficult to make out details, as most of Shibata is cast in shadow. The wind seems to have been blowing substantially when the picture was taken. The artist's and album's names are in the top right and top left respectively in white lettering. The graininess of the photo evoke a certain nostalgic or retro aesthetic, which suits the album's sound quite well.

Seems I forgot ALT text on the image, my bad! Here's the version with:

柴田聡子 - Your Favorite Things View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2024 Vinyl release of "Your Favorite Things" on Discogs.

displays a wide range of styles and manages to nail them all, while still maintaining a certain uniqueness. If your tastes are anything like my own, I highly recommend you check out this album (and its companion "My Favorite Things")!

Link: www.discogs.com/release/30766263-柴田聡子-Your-Favorite-Things

"Kizaki Lake", a song that washes over you with waves of acoustic guitar arpeggios on which Shibata's soft, airy vocals swim oh so gracefully. The brunt of this album, though, is taken up by slightly unconventional jpop like the cool "Synergy" or the almost disco-ey "Side Step". Shibata-
(3/4)

of the opener first kicked it, I immediately felt a spark that I rarely do with music. Something about the production and songwriting just... breaks me, emotionally. There's a nostalgia to it, a bittersweetness, that I cannot place. That is not to say this album has no other good tracks! Take-
(2/4)

For week 26, I'd like to introduce an album who's opening track, "Movie Light", brought me to tears. Singer-songwriter Satoko Shibata's "Your Favorite Things" is a lot of things. Discogs lists it as 'indie pop', but that does not, to me, capture what this album sounds like. When the strings-
(1/4) 🧵

Joe Hertz - Current Blues View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2020 Vinyl release of "Current Blues " on Discogs.

by illustrator Liam Cobb. If you're a fan of R&B, soul, or lo-fi music, please do give it a listen!

Link: www.discogs.com/release/1598...

it is Hertz' production work coupled with the stellar performance by the featured artists that make this album a personal instant classic. Pip Millett, Kaleem Taylor, Dom Mcallister, YonYon, and all the others deserve just as much credit as the guy whose name is on that eye-catching cover
(3/4)

and from the gorgeous cover art to the wonderful lo-fi sound, I was in love. "I Don't Swear" brings us a gorgeous electric piano and a great bassline, the slightly 'drunk'/off-kilter percussion on "One Sided" creates and instant groove, and I just adore the chill guitars on "Used". That said,
(2/4)

Cover art for Joe Hertz's album "Current Blues" by illustrator Liam Cobb. It depicts an overgrown city over a bright orange sky, seemingly after rainfall. Mountain peaks can be seen in the distance. All this is rendered in a (roughly) two-tone palette of orange/red and turquoise. The album name is placed on the top left, and the artist's name vertically alone the bottom left. Abandoned buildings are often found in post-apocalyptic settings, but the piece seems to focus on the calm, even serenity, of the scene; something that ties together well with the music and album title.

There was a time I became somewhat obsessed with a track by SIRUP some years back. It was called "MAIGO", and had some featured artist I'd never heard of; Joe Hertz. When I later went digging, it turned out this UK-based producer had an album out; Lucky me! That album was "Current Blues",
(1/4)🧵

YouTube video by Demi Adejuyigbe 9/21/16

I, for one, will celebrate by watching all of Demi Adejuyigbe's 9/21 videos again ✨
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPwG6L73-VU&list=PLhT8ACQdPzpwkpvnvvPf6jCfWxEPmn-Kk

Also happy 21st night of september to all who celebrate!

Tigercub - As Blue As Indigo Explore songs, recommendations, and other album details for As Blue As Indigo by Tigercub. Compare different versions and buy them all on Discogs.

"Sleepwalker", "Beauty", and "In the Autumn of My Years" are stand-outs for sure, but this is another one elevated by listening all the way through in one go. While it loses a bit of steam halfway through, I cannot recommend it enough!

Link: www.discogs.com/master/2178874-Tigercub-As-Blue-As-Indigo

the stereo was by no means good, and yet this otherwise inconsequential memory stuck with me for the simple fact that this album is really good! I've talked about sequencing and cohesiveness before, and here I have to give full marks; There is a 'oneness' to this album I only rarely see.
(2/3)

Cover art for Tigercub's album "As Blue As Indigo". It's a busy, abstract piece, heavily featuring deep indigo blues and dusty licorice blacks. There's a somewhat-chaotic intermingling of thick, wavy lines and straight, thin ones. The middle features some pops of scarlet and white, but it's not apparent what, if anything, is represented here. The band's name is printed in a darkened circle on the top left, and the album's name in a row of colourful circles in the bottom right. To me, it evokes the feeling of optical illusions or shock camouflage; the cover is striking, and seems to want to draw your attention as much as it wants to disorient you.

One of my friends from middle school got married recently, and I distinctly remember when he introduced me to "As Blue As Indigo" by UK alt-rockers Tigercub. We listened to the entire album, front-to-back, while on our way to... I think a band rehearsal? This was in his somewhat shitty car,
(1/3)🧵

Listening back through Friends At The Table's "COUNTER/weight" after listening to "PARTIZAN" and I have to mention; the opening excerpt of episode 16 is incredible. I knew Austin could write, but every line of that minute or so is brilliant

Don't get me started on the soundtrack; It is so very good!!!

Himiko Kikuchi - Flying Beagle Explore songs, recommendations, and other album details for Flying Beagle by Himiko Kikuchi. Compare different versions and buy them all on Discogs.

The album also knows more laid-back moments, like the excellent "The Second Summer". Whether to soundtrack a drive with an ocean view, a walk through the neon lights of the city, or just a normal afternoon, please check it out!
(3/3)

Link: www.discogs.com/master/1286762-Himiko-Kikuchi-Flying-Beagle

sounds all throughout; From the piano, to the synths, to the reverb. That's to say nothing of this album's groove, though! The opening track, "Look Your Back!" hits you in the face with some of the funkiest horns, punctuated by an incredible, syncopated bass and Kikuchi's great key lines.
(2/3)

Cover art for Himiko Kikuchi's album "Flying Beagle". It's a photograph of a beagle, as per the album title. It is not, however, flying. Said beagle is captured at an angle, and it's looking at the camera. The photo seems to be taken at twilight, with a prominent camera flash illuminating the dog. The artist's name and album title are given at the top left and right, respectively, in yellow and in white. The beagle almost seems to be flashing the camera a mischievous smile.

Switching it up for week 23, we have an album that's gone viral in some niche circles, but is very obscure outside those; "Flying Beagle", by jazz pianist Himiko Kikuchi! It's no secret I love the sounds of the 80's, and this album has that in spades. "Baby Talk" has wonderfully retro-
(1/3) 🧵

Area 11 - Modern Synthesis View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2016 Vinyl release of "Modern Synthesis" on Discogs.

top of guitars and synths. This lusher sound carries all the way to the grandiose 'Panacea and the Prelogue', which plays its role as album closer absurdly well. This album is pure nostalgia for me, and I hope you enjoy it too!
(3/3)

Link: www.discogs.com/release/8734413-Area-11-Modern-Synthesis