BORN TO DARKNESS

kaoru akimoto, cologne (1986)

city pop

dress down

this album is the quintessential city pop album. i first discovered it around the time dress down started getting attention online in 2016/2017; i had to listen to someone's rip of the album on soundcloud before we as a collective society were blessed to have it put on spotify. it was on loop when i visited the pacific northwest with some friends in the fall of 2017. i was in the thick of my first viewing of twin peaks at the time, so we visited some filming locations while we were in the area. these memories come to mind each time i listen to this album—it's interesting how the human brain connects stuff like this. it's a perfectly constructed pop record. it's romantic, playful and feminine. even though my feelings around these memories have changed over time, my love for this album has never changed. my favorite tracks are ナルシスト, dress down, and love letter.

buckethead, electric sea (2012)

ambient, instrumental

beyond the knowing

this album is so gentle and safe. i reach for this one when i feel low or in need of comfort. beyond the knowing is the song that effectively puts me at ease; it feels like holding the hand of someone you trust. big b even gives us some classical flare with la gavotte and the punnily named bachethead. overall, the album is beautifully crafted and gently played. albums like electric sea show buckethead's range in such a simple way. many know him as the shredder (which he is) but he's capable of so much more artistically. my favorite tracks are beyond the knowing, la gavotte, and yokohama.

jeff buckley, grace (1994)

rock

grace

i would consider jeff buckley's grace to be a classic 90's album. his style compares to the emotion of rufus wainwright or mazzy star but with the rock sensibilies of stone temple pilots. his voice was so unique, seamlessly blending his four-octave tenor range. grace is dark and beautiful, especially the titular track. his cover of leonard cohen's legendary hallelujah is simple yet still lovely. corpus christi carol is haunting and beautiful, punctuated harshly by the hard rock eternal life. seeing as grace was buckley's only full-length studio album, it's truly a masterpiece in its own right. it's been given generous accolades from the likes of bob dylan and david bowie, as well as been placed on countless "greatest albums of all time" lists. my favorite tracks are grace, last goodbye, lover, you should've come over, and forget her.

bonk!, the act of doing it (2024)

jazz rock, prog rock

safety in numbers

a good friend of mine sent me this album and i was instantly floored! bonk! is a funky four piece out of liverpool, calling themselves “prog rock outlaws", a name that i see totally fitting for their sound. the act of doing it starts off with an instrumental track (fridge lightbulb) which has a groovy thumping bass line, psychedelic keyboards and head-rocking guitar licks with the occasional dissonant notes (yum). it kinda sounds like the soundtrack to a circus act run by funkadelic. safety in numbers is complex and aggressive with a fantastic guitar solo and driving, punkish vocals that showcases the singer’s charisma. i adore the guitar harmonics layered in between the FOURLEGSGOODTWOLEGSBAD section. wave is a lighter selection–the keyboards are poppy and fun and the bass solo is so fucking groovy. the record ends with preserve; definitely cause for their choice of the “outlaw” descriptor–it sounds like you’re lost in the desert looking for something you’re not ready for… this track could easily be placed near the end of a grand prog concept album. while i can’t find tons of info on bonk! other than their socials, they seem to have been around since 2022. i can’t wait to see where this young band goes creatively! my favorite tracks are safety in numbers and preserve.

kenny g, duotones (1986)

smooth jazz

champagne

i like to pride myself on giving any music a chance. to some music enjoyers, kenny g's music is... corny. i would agree, for the most part—i can't say i've enjoyed most of his discography. however, one cannot deny the cultural impact of songbird. that track, to me, is not the star of the show of duotones. sade is the track that should've gotten the attention that songbird did. it hits all the marks that the latter misses. champagne sounds like cruising the boulevard on a starry summer night; the thumping bassline lends a warm, exciting hand to the overall production. i'll give an honorable mention to midnight motion, it's well-rounded and enjoyable. the rest of the album i'm not too keen on, but maybe one of you might enjoy it!

waterparks, cluster (2016)

pop-punk

territory

to preface this entry, i do not consider myself a fan of pop-punk (outside of green day, at least!). the genre has never really stimulated me as much as i like music to or struck my emotions like it may have for others. however, cluster is an anomoly in that respect; it's moody and whiny like other works inside the genre but something about it stirs me! the melodies are highly memorable, especially on that of territory and no capes. the lyrics are relatable in a coming-of-age way and even a bit poetic at times. the mood of their compositions match well to the angst of their lyrics, as well. my favorite tracks are: crave, territory, and mad all the time.