iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 05/04/2026

For week 52, the last week, I wanted to return to one of the albums that influenced me the most. Whether it's my love for science fiction, appreciation for albums as a storytelling medium, or my childhood fears of the dark, all can be traced back to Jeff Wayne's "War of the Worlds". 🧵(1/4)

Cover art for Jeff Wayne's "Musical Version of the War of the Worlds". It's a painting of a scene midway through the story, where a Martian "fighting machine"—A tripod machine with green, bug-like eyes—is using its "heat ray" to melt the ironclad ship Thunder Child. The machine's legs are submerged in water, and the sky behind it is darkened by the smoke and soot of raging fires. The artist's and album's name are written in ornate lettering near the top left. This scene in the story represents a turning point; Where humanity's last hopes of fighting against the invading aliens are dashed, burned at sea.

110

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 29/03/2026

I cannot claim to be well-versed in the world of K-pop, but the EP seems an especially common occurrence there. Take the 11th by TWICE, "Between 1&2". "Talk That Talk" is an absolute banger of an opener that stole my heart, and tracks like the groovy "Trouble" kept it stolen 'till the end. (4/5)

Cover art for TWICE's extended play "Between 1&2". It looks like a page in a scrapbook, where the group's and EP's name are constructed from colourful letters of all manner of typefaces, cut from other materials like magazines and posters. The overall colour palette is warm and playful, dominated by magentas, oranges, and beige. Another page, seemingly taken from a note book, is overlaid in the bottom right, featuring a line from the song "Talk That Talk". It all has a youthful, 'fun' feeling to it, though it does not seem to intent on conveying more than that.

120

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 29/03/2026

Fictional metal band Ave Mujica's "Completeness" is full of theatre and (melo)drama. From the soft opening of "Georgette Me, Georgette You" to chugging energy and groove of "Kao", everything is presented with a gravitas that is perhaps a little juvenile, but nonetheless incredibly captivating. (3/5)

Cover art for Ave Mujica's extened play "Completeness". It is an illustration of the five (fictional) band members in their dramatic stage outfits over a backdrop of a serene cloudscape, reflected below their feet. The dark colours of the band's clothes are contrasted by the pastel blues, yellows, and pinks of the sky. The band's and EP's names are written in elegant letters in the top-middle, and birds can be seen flying far off in the background. The imagery is almost biblical, framing the five band members as angels come down to offer salvation.

100

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 29/03/2026

With just 4 songs and an interlude, folk duo Lumï manage to craft an atmosphere on "Speak Softly" that is at one ethereal and haunting. The synths and guitars on tracks like "The Truth Can Wait" and "Six Missed Calls" form a bed for their enchanting harmonies. Seeing them live was pure magic. (2/5)

Cover art for Lumï's extended play "Speak Softly". It is a photograph featuring the folk duo in a spacious bath tub, framed by what look to be bay windows with open, horizontal slats. Daylight pours in between them, illuminating the two singers who are looking off to some place besides the camera. To me, it gives the impression of the aftermath of an emotional scene in a drama series; a 'calm after the storm'.

110

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 22/03/2026

I have in the past expressed my love for the game UNBEATABLE, as have I covered fictional bands before. Still, it feels strange to cover "ALBUM." by Unbeatable (the band, not the game). Almost paradoxically to its name, it doesn't really *feel* like an album in the sense I normally cover; It-

Cover art for Unbeatable's album titled "ALBUM.". It depicts the sprites of the four band members (from the game of the same name) with the image contrast turned up to max; The figures are completely white, against a pure black background. No titles or words are to be found. Such a minimalist composition is unusual; If anything, it functions as a rejection of the format expected of albums.

120

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 15/03/2026

I'm sure we've all had albums from which we knew only one song, a song we've listened to for ages, and then one day you wonder "what else does this have to offer?" A week ago, I knew only the opening track to Sakanaction's "834.194"; "Wasurerarenaino". Today, I am obsessed with this album. 🧵(1/4)

Cover art for Sakanaction's album "834.194". It is an abstract piece that looks like it could've come from a postmodern art gallery, were it not for the band's name and album title in the middle. The piece is dominated by a blue background, with sploches of dark green like islands dotted here and there. Overtop, flowing lines of white are placed; dense in some areas, sparse in others. The overall impression is of ocean or wind currents over an archipelago—something from a meteorological survey. It conveys a feeling of movement, and perhaps of freedom.

131

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 08/03/2026

With my dive into the utaite community—and love for yuri media—it was only a matter of time for me to stumble upon the work of Yoshino. Her only album to date, "Highly Ridiculous", absolutely does not disappoint; Right from opening track "ODD NUMBER" you know you're in for a ride full of- 🧵 (1/3)

Cover art for Yoshino's album "Highly Ridiculous". It is a very busy, stylized artwork of the singer laughing with her eyes closed. She is surrounded, and partially obscured, by a variety of items in tints of lilac, magenta, and purple: Flowers, photographs, jewelry, photographs, et cetera. It gives the feeling of a collage, many disperate elements coming together to create a single, messy whole. In a way it also reflects the music on the album, being both dramatic and a little overwhelming.

130

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 01/03/2026

It's not often that 'the algorithm' finds good music for me, but I cannot for the life of me remember else I could've stumbled upon Nao Yoshioka's song "I Love When" other than some streaming recommendation. Naturally, I had to check out the album it came from; "The Truth". As is often the- 🧵 (1/3)

Cover art for Nao Yoshioka's album "The Truth". It features a greyscale photograph of the singer standing in front of a monochrome magenta background. The photo has been cut up and shifted, giving the singer a somewhat 'glitchy' look. The artist's name and album title are written in white and black respectively on the left side. The album cover feels stylish, sleek, and modern, matching the sound/production of the music on it.

110

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 22/02/2026

Recorded music as a thing is a little strange. You can be in your twenties, having never traveled anywhere near Italy, and yet fall in love with a record from half a century ago... Alan Sorrenti's "Figli Delle Stelle" oozes with the same DNA as the City Pop that stole my heart, yet somehow- 🧵(1/3)

Cover art for Alan Sorrenti's album "Figli Delle Stelle". It's a composite of two photographs. The lower is a somewhat blurry shot of a cityscape at night. The lights of the streets and windows merge into streaks of orange and yellow, and the star-like artefacts of the lens give it a dream-like quality. The top photo is one of the singer himself, hunched over in all-white clothing and surrounded by blue hues. The album title is in the bottom right, and the artist's name in the top left. The overall vibe is retro and a little surreal; the implication that Sorrenti himself is a 'child of the stars'—That is, an alien—only adds to this slightly bizarre tone

100

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 15/02/2026

I don't know if "Safe in Sound" is the *best* album by Lower Than Atlantis, but it is definitely my favourite. For better or worse, I will always associate it with high school, with friendships long since over, with being stuck at a train station at 3 in the morning, and with people who are- 🧵(1/4)

Cover art for Lower Than Atlantis' album "Safe in Sound". It's a black-and-white photograph of the band members in front of a fence/wall. The top of the picture is taken up by (shadows of) leaves and brances, suggesting the fence encloses a garden. The edges of the photograph give the appearance of brush-strokes, as though it was painted on a canvas. The band's name is written in the bottom middle. While the simple composition doesn't seem to have a strong connection to the album itself, the fact that this is the band's last record does add a certain nostalgic tint to the photo; Like it is the last one the band members would ever take together...

130

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 08/02/2026

It's week 44 of these posts, so it's only fitting to talk about an album famous (in the west) in part due to a 4chan post. Casiopea's "Mint Jams" is technically a live-album, but this 4-piece Jazz-Fusion band puts most studio performances to shame on this record. From the delightfully- 🧵(1/4)

Cover art for Casiopea's album "Mint Jams". It's a stylized drawing of a jam jar, filled with an emerald-green jam (likely mint flavour). a spoon is taking some out of the open top of the jar. The label of the jar has the band's name in red letters, and the album's name is featured near the top in red. The background consists of a yellow band, with pure white above it. It all suggests a band that doesn't take itself too seriously, nor do they have a deep message to convey here.

143

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 01/02/2026

Having been a fan of Casey Lee Williams' for years, it was inevitable I'd check out Ok Goodnight eventually. When their second record—"The Fox & The Bird"—dropped in 2023 I was completely sold! An eclectic and enrapturing mix of folk and progressive metal, this concept album has one of the- 🧵(1/4)

Cover art for Ok Goodnight's album "The Fox & The Bird". It's an artwork of the titular animals, along with others featured on the album. It also features the forest, the sun in the sky, and a mountain in the background. The style of the artwork is reminiscent of ukiyo-e woodblock carvings, with deep colourful hues and a dark gray border. The band's and album's names are featured in the top-left and bottom-right respectively. The artwork evokes (to me) a depiction of an ancient piece of folklore; it feels old and significant in a way generally reserved for important cultural heritage.

100

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 25/01/2026

After an excellent ending theme to "CITY: THE ANIMATION" and an excellent opening theme to "Ikoku Nikki", it was high time I actually gave Tomoo's discography a try. I feel a fool for waiting so long, cause not even two songs into "Two Moon" and I was absolutely in love! I was *not*- 🧵(1/3)

Cover art for Tomoo's album "Two Moon". It's an extreme close-up of (what I presume to be) the singer's face, showing only her nose, eyes, eyebrows, and part of her hair. In front of her irises are two rounded spheres, perhaps droplets of liquid, which distort and bend the light in an almost opalescent way. No text of any kind is visible. The obvious interpretation is that the titular "two moons" are one's eyes, but this unconventional choice for an album cover is noteworthy.

100

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 19/01/2026

would've love The Graduate's "Only Every Time", had she heard it at that time. Instead, I learned of this album a decade later. And yet, I love it all the same. I still don't know what tricks they pulled to make opener "Don't Die Digging" sound this massive. "Stuck (Inside My Head)" was a- (2/3)

Cover art for The Graduate's album "Only Every Time". It's an abstract piece of dark oxide colours; rust and verdigris. The latter colours a sharp, angular ribbon-like pattern snaking across the cover, while the former forms watercolour-like sploches around that. All of this is over a dark grey and black background. In the centre is the band's name in white, and the album's name and a stylized eye in that same verdigris underneath. It's hard to say how this artwork relates to the music on the album, as is often the case with abstract pieces. I personally associate the imagery here with the album's title; the ribbon in a loop with no clear beginning and end seems to confirm that "Only Every Time" really is *every* time.

100

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 11/01/2026

I'm by no means a scholar on the topic, but it seems to me that 'virtual bands' have had something of a resurgence since the heyday of Gorillaz. "Girls band cry", "Unbeatable", and of course "Bocchi the Rock!"'s "Kessoku Band". The best thing about all these, though, is the real musicians- 🧵(1/4)

110

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 06/01/2026

I've always liked Parcels in this somewhat 'abstract' sense. I loved their first EP, I loved seeing them open for Two Door Cinema Club over a decade ago, and their 'live vol. 1' is one of the best live albums I've ever heard. Still, something never *clicked* with their proper releases; both- 🧵 (1/3)

Cover art for Parcels' album "LOVED". It's a photograph of the band members in colourful outfits running through a field of emerald-coloured grass. The photo's been taken from a top-down, diagonal angle as though by a drone. The lighting is soft, as though it's a somewhat overcast day. Everything in frame seems to suggest the joy and freedom that comes with being in nature, befitting of the album's name.

100

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 28/12/2025

Junko Ohashi was one of those legendary names in city pop. Long before I'd heard more than one of her songs, that album cover of the 1980's New York skyline stood out to me. When I switched to TIDAL, "Magical" was recommended to me—and magical it is! I wasn't alive in the 80's (probably- 🧵(1/3)

Cover art for Junko Ohashi's album "MAGICAL". It's a photograph of the Manhattan skyline, taken at twilight. The photo dates to the 1980's at the latest, and the twin towers (since destroyed) occupy the centre, illuminated in a lilac by the setting sun. The water in the bottom of the frame reflects the deep blue skies above, with a few streaks of cloud visible. The top of the cover is a white band, featuring the album's and artist's name on the left and right respectively. While I find it hard to comment on what this cover could've meant in 1984, the coining of the term 'city pop' for this genre of music, and the terrorist attacks that destroyed the world trade centre, are much stronger associations in 2025; the album's title "magical", now only serves to fuel the nostalgia for a bygone era of economic prosperity and lacking the same spectre of terrorism (and all the consequences that has had)...

100

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 21/12/2025

It's always a bit strange to talk about albums formative to my music tastes. It's a bit like trying to describe air, or the concept of taxes; more a fact of life than a phenomenon worth discussing. Mini Mansions' "The Great Pretenders" is such an album for me. How could it not be? The- 🧵(1/4)

Cover art for Mini Mansions' album "The Great Pretenders". It's a NASA photograph showing the cover of the golden phonograph record mounted on Voyagers 1 and 2 before they were launched into space. The band's and album's name are featured in the bottom middle in white lettering. The stated purpose of these records was to "show off life on earth" to any extraterrestrials that might encounter one of these probes. While the possibility of this happening are anywhere from "infinitesimal" to "absolute zero", I do think the thought and effort put into these says something beautiful and profound about humanity. In context of this album, it could be interpreted as calling humans the titular "Great Pretenders", deluding ourselves into constructing a universe where there is life out there, or where any of this matters. Still, such a nihilistic view does not gel with the somewhat personal, and very human, topics on the album.

120

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 14/12/2025

It's weird, in hindsight, how Mini Trees and their album "Slow it Down" completely flew under my radar, considering it is so ostensibly my thing! Luckily, a good friend recommended it, and now here we are! To me, this album has three defining facets. The first is its catchiness. Take track- 🧵(1/3)

Cover art for Mini Trees' album "Slow It Down". It is a photograph of the band's only member, Lexi Vega, seemingly taken in-motion, judging by how blurry she looks. She's wearing a turquoise jacket, dark blue shorts, and a white top. There's a tree branch with some leaves occupying the left of the cover, with one orange leaf in the bunch. The background is very dark, suggesting nighttime, but both the tree and Vega are very well lit. The combination of these elements --A blurry figure, contrasted with the sharply defined leaves and dark background-- give the cover a dreamlike quality that complements the sound of the music quite well.

120

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 07/12/2025

I can't say "The Car" is the best album by Arctic Monkeys. I cannot even say it is my favourite. It is, however, the most interesting and perhaps most underrated album by this British alternative band. Unlike their guitar-driven heyday, this album has a distinct flavour of media music. 🧵(1/3)

Cover art for Arctic Monkeys' album "The Car". It is a top-down, angled photograph of a car on a rooftop parking lot, framed with a white border. The photo is taken from far away by the band's drummer, Matt Helders, from his apartment. This distance really isolates the white car among the concrete of the surrounding buildings. Everything appears to be a few decades old, making the time period difficult to pin down. The colour palette is predominantly urban greys and browns, and there's something a little grainy about the photo. It has an isolating, liminal quality to it, like a random still from a film that was never released.

120

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 30/11/2025

I'm used to talking about albums that can generously be described as "bubbling under the mainstream". Not this time, though. Through happenstance, I discovered "Hey Yo I'm Calling You" and I fell in love. I had to find out more about Sho Kamijo, and found his only album "Nobody like you". 🧵(1/4)

Cover art for Sho Kamijo's album "Nobody Like You". It's a top-down, angled photograph of the singer in between a bunch of empty seats for an audience. He's holding a guitar, and looking at the camera. The dramatic shadows on the ground give the impression of either sunrise or sunset. The photograph has been edited to consist only of greys, with hints of sepia. The album's name is written along the bottom in a tangerine colour, with the artist's name below it in white. It gives an "artist before their big show" vibe, the type of photo you'd see with an interview or magazine, but the gospel stylings of the music point to this photo potentially being taken in a church instead.

130

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 24/11/2025

I've always associated the first few albums by Last Dinosaurs, the indie band from Australia, with specific parts of a summer's day. Their 1st scores the morning, their 4th the late afternoon, their 3rd the evening, et cetera. "Wellness", to me, falls squarely in the early afternoon; 🧵(1/3)

Cover art for Last Dinosaurs' album "Wellness". It looks to be a manipulated photograph of a field, with a forest on a hill a little further in the distance. The colours are somewhat strange, though, there's a blurriness as though multiple photographs were overlayed, and the entire composition looks washed-out as though it's many decades old. White streaks of paint are splattered over this, as though spilled on a sacrificial desk mat. The band's name and album title are to the top left and right, respectively. The overall feeling is of a not unpleasant dream; familiar elements now estranged and painted over, but in a warm and quaint manner.

120

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 16/11/2025

I like to think there's two ways to title your album. Number one is artistic; some words or sentence that reinforce a theme or message you want to convey. The other is descriptive, and I can think of few better examples of this kind than Mariya Takeuchi's "Variety", which I can only read as- 🧵(1/4)

Cover art for Mariya Takeuchi's album "Variety". It is a black-and-white photograph of the singer, dressed in what looks to be a sailor uniform. She is looking off to the right of the camera, and has her hair down on the same side. The album's title is featured in a red box on the top left, and the singer' name in a green one to the top right. While it doesn't seem intent to convey some strong theme or message, this somewhat straightforward portrait of the singer does, to me, say something akin to "these songs are my work, and I am proud of them".

120

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 09/11/2025

A blazing-fast album deserves a blazing-fast post. Bad Nerves' self-titled debut is the catchiest proverbial slap-in-the-face I've ever seen live. "Radio Punk" is perpetually stuck in my head, "Palace" has great lines and riffs, and "New Shapes" goes faster than a jet plane. Do give it a listen!

Cover art for Bad Nerves' self-titled debut album, "Bad Nerves". It features a black-and white photograph of the band's vocalist, who appears to be lying on a stage or in a studio. He has a microphone in his hands, held to his mouth, and is surrounded by cables. The band's (and thus also the album's) name frames the photograph in lilac-coloured lettering.

100

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 02/11/2025

While I have expressed my love and admiration for vocaloid music before, I must say both are somewhat recent; Only last year did it finally *click* for me. Still, I have yet to find another who does it like producer Jamie Paige! "Constant Companions" is unique, to the point it's hard to fit- 🧵(1/4)

Cover art for Jamie Paige's album "Constant Companions". It's an artwork roughly split into two sides along the centre line. The left features a representation of the artist, laying on a bright-red, cloth-looking material (presumably a blanket) with a pillow under her head. She is surrounded by clutter like a game controller, gummy worms, and a cassette tape. The right features white outline in the shape of a cat-person, surrounded by white outlines of small animals. The background is a collage of greens and yellows, giving the impression of a leafy canopy. The two figures are holding hands, and both are smiling with their eyes closed. The artwork seems to me to reinforce the album's theme of companionship, and reminds me of the warmth I've felt from friendships, even over long distances (via the internet).

220

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 27/10/2025

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)

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.

130

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 20/10/2025

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)

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.

100

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 12/10/2025

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 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.

110

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 05/10/2025

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

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.

010

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 05/10/2025

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) 🧵

210

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 28/09/2025

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)🧵

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.

110

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 21/09/2025

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)🧵

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.

100

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 14/09/2025

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) 🧵

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.

100

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 07/09/2025

Week 22 brings me down memory lane, to the first band I ever called myself a fan of; UK alt-rockers Area 11. Getting their start playing for a YouTube channel doing minecraft let's plays, it was on their second album, "Modern Synthesis", that I feel they proved themselves as a 'real band'. 🧵(1/3)

120

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 30/08/2025

Week 21! I'm not going to pretend this isn't a somewhat basic pick, but it's hard to beat the satin-soft jazz singing of Chet Baker. "Chet Baker Sings" is from a different era of albums, when trivial concerns such as 'theme', 'sequencing', and 'cohesion' were not yet on the minds of artists. 🧵(1/3)

Cover art for Chet Baker's album "Chet Baker Sings". It's a photograph (or maybe two photographs stitched together) of the titular singer and trumpet player, Chet Baker, in the studio. He's singing into a microphone. The photograph is monocolour, tinted a turquoise. The left side of the cover features pianist Russ Freeman. This side is tinted green. The album title and record label are featured in an orange-red colour, and some of the personnel in white.

110

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 23/08/2025

We've made it to week 20, and I'd like to cover the delightful "Annihilation" by Japanese singer-songwriter AAAMYYY. I remember listening to the first single off this album, "Utopia", back in 2020. It felt to me like I was swimming in those synthesizers; The song's ethereal sounds were like 🧵(1/3)

Cover art for AAAMYYY's album "Annihilation". It's an abstract piece which depicts a disk or orb floating above a surface of bright reds and yellows. It gives the impression of an orb floating out of some strange liquid, reflecting the pool below it, which seems to be rising to meet it. The artist name and album title are written at the bottom over this 'pool'. It conveys to me an ominous feeling; a dark artifact that will be the vehicle of the album's titular annihilation.

140

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 19/08/2025

Week 19*, and we're back to my personal nostalgia! When asked what the artwork represented, De Staat's frontman Torre Florim replied 'It could be a lot of things; The letter "o", a zero, or just a little circle'. Most fans have taken to calling this alternative banger "Oh". While I could- 🧵(1/4)

100

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 10/08/2025

The weather's been nice again, so for week 18 I'm in a city pop mood! Anri's "Timely!!" is a true classic of the genre, maybe even _the_ defining album to me. So much so, in fact, it is somewhat challenging to write about; How would you describe 'oxygen', 'the sky', or the concept of a 'day'- 🧵(1/3)

Cover art for Anri's album "Timely!!". It depicts a framed photo of the singer herself in front of a stone wall. She is leaning over slightly, appearing to peer through some viewfinder, but her eyes are turned to the camera. Behind the wall, palm trees and a sunny sky with some clouds can be seen. Dramatic shadows are cast by a low sun, seeming to be either rising or setting. The artist's and album's name are written to either side of the photo. The cover evokes a sunny, perhaps even sub-tropical feeling; One of beach days in Florida, walks along the southern shores of Japan, or a date on Hawai'i.

130

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 01/08/2025

Week 17(ish) goes to UK rock duo Royal Blood and their 3rd: 'Typhoons'. While I've been a fan of theirs since their debut album, it is this foray into a more electronic, danceable sound where the band struck gold for my tastes. While it's still got their edge, the cuts on here are tempered- 🧵(1/3)

Cover for Royal Blood's album "Typhoons". It's an abstract piece, looking somewhat like a radar scan coloured in with magentas and cyans. The rest of the cover is a dark black, save for the band's name in white letters along the middle. With the album's focus on alcoholism, I can't help but interpret this as a ship's SOS signal; A call for help of a boat lost at sea.

100

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 27/07/2025

For week 16, I wanted to go down memory lane a little bit. As with most teens, I was really trying to find my own identity as I was preparing to go to university. One album that really helped me here was 'Belladonna of Sadness' by US singer-songwriter Alexandra Savior. I had already heard- 🧵 (1/4)

Cover art for Alexandra Savior's "Belladonna of Sadness". It depicts a stylized poppy flower, with a few other stems and leaves, over a very dark gray. The artist's name is written in a refined-looking, cursive gold, while the album title is given in a more standard-looking, white font. The cover, made by Savior herself, has an aire of refinement or elegance. At the same time, however, it feels cold, stark, or even lonely, despite the palette of warm colours.

100

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 20/07/2025

I mentioned before how I got into J-pop around 2020. For week 15, I'd like to reveal the culprit for my descent into loving this genre: 'Traveler' by Official HIGE DANdism! When it comes to modern Japanese pop productions, this album has it all; spanning the gamut from horn-blasting 🧵 (1/3)

Cover art for Official HIGE DANdism's 'Traveler'. It depicts a flag of red and white stripes (alluding perhaps to the flag of the United States), as well as an assortment of items of outdated technology (30 years old and over). The items obscure an open road leading to some mountains. The cover is very busy, making it somewhat hard to describe what exactly is going on. The chaotic, collage nature of the cover reflects the wide range of music on the album, while also alluding to the older period of US pop music it pulls inspiration from.

100

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 15/07/2025

Week 14, and we're tackling "Raw Data Feel" by English experimental pop band Everything Everything! Released around the same time as ChatGPT, this album found the exact right moment in time for its themes of using technology to cope with the horrors and burdens of the world to resonate. 🧵(1/3)

Cover art for the album "Raw Data Feel" by the band Everything Everything. The artwork looks like a piece of technology, but since the artwork was generated with an LLM computer model, it is impossible to determine what exactly the object is. My best description is 'an old-school camera as viewed by someone suffering psychosis'. Behind the object is a blur of colour, looking somewhat like a sunset. The tracklisting is printed partially covering the artwork. The overall feeling is uncanny; A self-portrait by a piece of technology that's somewhat human, but not quite.

110

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 06/07/2025

Without burying the lede further, for week 13 I wanted to talk 'Kyougen'. Acting somewhat like a virtual singer, none of the songs on this album credit Ado on writing or producing. Every track, in fact, has different credits. Despite this, it is Ado's performance that ties this album together. (4/5)

Cover art for the album "Kyougen" by Ado. It depicts a figure, which Ado uses as a stand-in for herself, covered in thorned, blue roses. One of her eyes is covered, while the other looks directly at the viewer. The album name is written in Japanese in a calligraphy style. The colour palette is dark, making the white writing stand out. The cover evokes a sense of drama and elegance.

110

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 29/06/2025

For week 12, I'd like to spotlight "Ghost Notes" by Japanese singer-songwriter Kan Sano! I'll admit I don't know much about him, partially through only knowing the basics of Japanese, but I have always enjoyed projects he's worked on with the likes of Shin Sakiura (who'll get a spotlight- 🧵(1/3)

Cover art for the album "Ghost Note" by Kan Sano. It depcits a collage of cut and ripped photographs, with overwhelming grassy and sandy colours and textures. A face is cutout from the nose down, which flows into the rest of the photos seemingly naturally. The album name is written in a flowy ink over the collage. It gives me the impression of a sort of 'scrapbook dadaism', though the intended message is unclear.

100

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 23/06/2025

Week 11 (+ 1 day), and I want to shout out an album dear to me: "Screen Violence" by Scottish synth-pop band CHVRCHES! 2021 was a weird year for me; I remember this album releasing during a very hard time for me emotionally. 'How Not To Drown' (featuring none other than Robert Smith) became- 🧵 (1/4)

Cover art for the album "Screen Violence" by Churches (stylized as CHVRCHES). It depicts what looks to be a television screen, showing blinds and the shadow of a hand. The space around the television is coloured a deep scarlet, and a power cord can be seen snaking to the left. The cover evokes horror movies, but clearly also aims to distance the viewer from the awful things happening on the screen; A theme running through the album.

110

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 15/06/2025

We've made it to week 10! I remember specifically putting off listening to concept album "Dead Club City" by UK alt-rockers Nothing But Thieves until *after* thye entrance talk to my current major cause I was so nervous! I even remember live-blogging my reactions to each song on tumblr! 🧵 (1/4)

Cover art for Nothing But Thieves' album "Dead Club City". It depicts a square with buildings in a contemporary, if abstract, architectural style. One of these is a monument that looks reminiscent of the one outside Compton City Hall. The backdrop is a deep orange, like a sunset, but with a grimy undertone; More akin to the skies of a planet like Venus, famous for its runaway greenhouse effect, than that of earth. This ties in to the album's theme of global warming and the anxieties of the younger generations. The album title and band name are written in the sky, as though it's a poster advertising the titular city, luring in a new batch of people to exploit.

110

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 08/06/2025

Week 9, and of course the lesbian musician has to mention Irish singer-songwriter Hozier at some point! This is his third album, and I think thematically his most thematically cohesive yet. Most of those familiar already know about how the tracklist follows the nine circles of hell, 🧵(1/4)

Cover art for Hozier's album "Unreal Unearth". It depicts a person seemingly buried in the hearth, with only their mouth uncovered. They figure is clenching their teeth, holding a daisy between them. The rest of the frame is the dark brown of earth, with small twigs and earthworms visible. The top right has the artist's name, as well as the album's. It feels like the earth is trying to swallow the person whole, which is fitting of the album's theme of the circles of hell (as described in Dante Alighieri's 'Divine Comedy').

120

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 01/06/2025

For week 8, I'd like to highlight another star of present-day Jpop; Furui Riho! Her first album, "Green Light", is everything I like in the charting music coming out of Japan; an R&B-inspired sound, clean use of electronics, tasteful chord progressions, and groovy bass lines! Look no further- 🧵(1/3)

Cover art for Furui Riho's album "Green Light". It depicts signage for a diner of the same name. The upper sign, with the name, has a vintage-looking car on it, while the lower sign is partly a red arrow pointing to the bottom right of the cover. Both signs are attached to a pastel pink pole. There also appear to be power lines in the background, but they are somewhat blurry and blend in with the ocean-green sky. The cover seems to attempt at evoking some nostalgia, like a faded polaroid photograph of a road-trip taken 40 or 50 years ago.

120

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 26/05/2025

Week 7 (+1 day...) brings us "This Is Why" by alt-rock band Paramore! Much more well-known for their output in the 00's, it is their most recent album I want to give a shout-out for its sharpness, both musically and lyrically, despite the softer sound compared to their earlier work. 🧵 (1/3)

Cover art for Paramore's "This Is Why". It depicts the three band members with their faces pressed firmly against glass. The glass is covered in beads of water, as though it steam has condensed on it. Overlaid are the album title and name of the band. The colours are mostly very muted yellows and greens. The intended feeling is unclear, though it evokes a silly or goofy vibe to me.

120

Vi @chromaticsol.at.app.wafrn.net · 18/05/2025

Week 6, and we've got something completely different. I'm a queer TTRPG player, so of course it has to be "Coyote Stories" indie-folk band The Crane Wives! I used to think I understood the appeal of folk music, but it wasn't until multiple good friends urges me to listen to this wonderful- 🧵 (1/3)

Cover art for The Crane Wives' "Coyote Stories". It's a stylized depiction of a long-haired figure riding on a coyote. The scene takes place at night, so the figure is holding a lantern, as well as a brightly-colored book. The scene seems to evoke a sort of folksy, ancient, and mythical tale.

130