I feel unbelievable. Every possible emotion you can feel. The only reason I’m writing this is because I have no other way to express the spectrum of things going through my body at this exact moment.

Some friends of mine have been releasing albums recently that have been steadily building up to an explosion of feelings - the likes of which are being expressed by this blog post. I’ll say what I can here but there’s no possible way to do any of these masterpieces justice so maybe just go take a listen yourself. The following are listed in the order that I listened to them. No hierarchy here;

Item 1: Jihye Lee “As the Night Passes”

Moody, elegant, beautiful, versatile and colorful. The compositions flow beautifully and travel to countless aesthetic and emotional spaces that never seem unnecessary. Jihye’s voice is incredibly nuanced and though I can’t understand Korean, every word seems carefully chosen and meaningful to say the very least. What I love most about this album is how it can always fill a musical craving no matter what your mood is. It showcases a kind of versatility that’s incredibly hard to find especially in the world of duo music!

Item 2: Star the Moonlight “Haven’t You Heard”

This is one of the greatest orchestral works not written for a full symphony orchestra I’ve heard. Each composition is extensive, expressive, densely dynamic, and perpetually interesting. Band leader Maximillian Zooi has clearly succeeded in channeling not just an idea or concept, but a universe far greater than words, reviews, genres and otherwise. Like I said at the beginning; I cannot do it justice with words. Just find yourself 39 minutes of free time and give it an honest listen. I highly recommend listening to this album specifically not in a noisy place (unless you have god-tier headphones) because the subtleties in the mix and compositions really give it a whole new dimension.

Item 3: Aurelia Trio “Spattered Current”

Don’t have too much to say about this one but I assure you it’s not because its any less perfect than the other albums on this list. These (q)ats know how to create a vibe. “Spattered Current” is exceedingly atmospheric, yet anything but minimal in its wonders. This is a stellar example of art you can consume passively or actively and everything in between. The tracks all sound incredibly cohesive but push and pull you in so many directions simultaneously making the title an absolute perfect fit for the album.

Item 4: Tiny Gun “Crazy I Can Be”

Storytelling is the best way to achieve a universal level of empathy. Compelling stories keep you interested but exemplary stories inspire you to tell stories of your own (even subconsciously). At the risk of sounding ultra-pretentious I’d say that all art is some form of either intentional or unintentional storytelling. Despite that risk, its one well worth taking in order to try (but inevitably fail) to explain my feelings about this album.. “Crazy I Can Be” is incredible.. I can only speak for myself but after hearing this I had so many feels I was literally speechless. It’s not very often that we can lose awareness of our own mortality listening to something (through cheap earbuds) we downloaded this morning but still, it’s somehow a feeling that is all too familiar and certainly not foreign. I believe there is an embedded story (either premeditated or subconsciously imposed) to this masterpiece that’s super relatable on both an aesthetic and emotional level. Even so, it’s unlike anything I’ve heard before in the best way possible.