Amateur Human Diaries

I kinda can't believe we're almost halfway through 2026! I could've sworn it was just March like, a week ago. Final exams were EXHAUSTING, but that was mostly my fault for being such a chronic procrastinator... as you could probably tell from this issue of the roundup being, like, a month late. But I'll officially be an upperclassman next year, so that's cool too I guess!

For my first week of summer, I've been taking it slow. It's been super fun to reconnect with some old friends, but apart from that I've been trying to reconnect with myself, too. At the beginning of every summer break, I always have to ask myself what I want to do with myself now, and I come up with different answers every time. But this year is the first in a while where I actually feel pretty solid about what I want to do with my future, lol. Be proud of my self-reflection, please.

To reflect my more chilled-out mood these past few weeks, this issue of the Music Roundup™ starts off with some mellower, more relaxing music for your listening pleasure. Arlo Parks' album in particular has been helping a lot. But that doesn't mean I've stopped listening to rock! That's still my main thing, so I've also included two albums from The Amazons and The Menzingers!

So, feast your eyes:

WILLOW - empathogen Jazz, soul, funk

I said in the last issue that I was really looking forward to checking out more of Willow's music, and ugh, I love this album so much. It's absolutely brimming with soul and creativity and I totally think it's Willow's best work yet. As soon as I saw the album labeled as 'jazz' in Apple Music, I knew there were about a million different ways it could sound, and let me tell you, she does not disappoint.

On Empathogen, each and every one of Willow's thoughts, moods, and emotions are there on display, accompanied by jazzy drum patterns, piano chords, and basslines that make you move whether you realize it or not. Her voice is breathy and dynamic, and she uses it to its full potential as an instrument on this album. It's clear that she means every word she says.

Feast my eyes on lower things while beauty is a symptom of life

— 'symptom of life'

The intersection between jazz, funk, rock, and pop is an interesting place to be, and it seems to be where Willow's the most comfortable. It's where her warmest and catchiest melodies are born and where I think her musical prowess really shines. The album takes from an eclectic range of influences, like Fiona Apple, St. Vincent, and Jon Baptiste, the latter two actually being featured on the album. Tracks like 'symptom of life' and 'b i g f e e l i n g s' lean on the funkier side of the album (if New Orleans were a song, I'd imagine these two tracks would come pretty close) while tracks like 'run!' champion the sound of her last few pop-punk inspired albums.

Empathogen isn't a jazz album in the traditional sense, or any sense, really, but I don't know how else I would describe it. It doesn't fit neatly in a box, and neither does Willow. She does whatever she wants, which is a testament to her creativity even if it doesn't always work out. And in the case of this album, she nails it.

My favorite tracks are symptom of life, between i and she, and run!

Arlo Parks - Collapsed In Sunbeams Alternative R&B & soul

When Arlo Parks debuted her first full-length album in 2021, the world was on fire. COVID-19 ravaged the world; cases were increasing by the day, and so was the death toll. Donald Trump incited an insurrection at the Capitol. Later that year, the Taliban would take control of Afghanistan. Everyone was stuck at home, and probably needed a hug. I know I did. Arlo Parks' debut album, Collapsed in Sunbeams, was that hug.

Arlo's kind of an icon in the British R&B and alternative scene, but somehow she doesn't really feel like one. Collapsed in Sunbeams netted her the 2021 Mercury Prize for Best Album and three nominations at the Brit Awards (basically the British Grammys). She's worked with Sampha, Hayley Williams, and Phoebe Bridgers, and she's been covered by the BBC and Rolling Stone. But despite all of that, she still feels fiercely underground and independent. Just a few years prior, she was still a teenager in her bedroom listening to Frank Ocean and King Krule and Radiohead, uploading music to the internet in the hopes that someone, somewhere would hear it, which just makes her meteoric rise all the more impressive.

Collapsed in Sunbeams feels like a warm love letter to everything and everyone who made Arlo who she is today. It's an invitation to slow down and feel the sunshine hit your back on a warm summer day and feel all the emotions you've had to tuck away. It's inspired by couples' fights and queer high school romances and poetry and Studio Ghibli movies, punctuated with lo-fi drums and chill guitars and Arlo's gentle, soft-spoken vocals. With this album, Arlo Parks wants you to know that whatever you're going through, you're not alone. Even during the crippling loneliness of the pandemic, Collapsed in Sunbeams is pure love in musical form; love for herself, her friends, her partners, and for people she's never even met, all in one. And in the midst of all the chaos, I think it's something we all needed.

My favorite track is Black Dog (named after Winston Churchill's term for his depression).

★ The Midnight - Heroes Synthpop, soft rock, glam rock

The '80s were, without a doubt, an incredibly iconic decade. Despite being over 40 years ago, the pop culture of the era still makes ripples today. With how quickly the world changes and moves on, it's a testament to the creativity of the decade that so many famous bands and singers from the '80s, like Michael Jackson, Madonna, David Bowie, and Metallica are still just as enrapturing as ever. Not to mention the movies and the advertisements and the... Yeah, you get it. It wasn't a perfect era, but it sure as hell seemed fun. It makes total sense that so many people today, kids and adults alike, look back on it fondly. Me included! That nostalgia is what The Midnight capitalize on with their music: and let me tell you, they do it damn well.

Let's get one thing straight: While the '80s are an inseparable part of The Midnight's identity both in their music and as people, I feel as if I'd be doing a disservice if that was the only lens I viewed their music through. Nah. The Midnight holds their own. While their usual style leans towards the synthwave style of electronic music, Heroes (the duo's fourth studio album) moves the needle in a different direction. It incorporates elements of '80s synthpop and soft rock, and even Van Halen and Bon Jovi-inspired glam rock sounds on tracks like 'Heartbeat' and 'Change Your Heart or Die.' When I played people a couple tracks from this album, they were all genuinely surprised this album was released in 2022, not 1984.

One thing I love about the '80s nostalgia is how much... freedom comes with it. They feel like a time where you could fuck around and just be a teenager without having to worry about any of the consequences. To many, the '80s feel spirited, rebellious, and independent in a way that, perhaps, the modern world falls short of. But those stories don't just have to live in the '80s. Heroes tells those stories for today: of hippies and gutter punks hanging out in Brooklyn bars; of a girl who's carved out her own space in the world, no matter how small; and two reckless lovers with fiery hearts who end up burning each other in the process.

For a moment, we were weightless, taking off our masks There were angels in the canyons, but the fire moved too fast

— 'Aerostar'

Tyler Lyle and Tim McEwan, the two musicians who make up The Midnight, make Heroes an insanely rewarding album to listen to. Tyler's songwriting is vulnerable and honest. Every single track is memorable in its own right, and every melody gets stuck in your head. Their instrumentation is top-notch, too. Being an electronic duo, Heroes uses a lot of synths and keyboards which add just the right touch of dreaminess to the album's sound, but they also bring in guitars (plus some killer solos) and saxophones to hammer in the nail even further. The one criticism I have would be that the drums lack variety. You hear a lot of the same rhythms and fills across the album, but in the grand scheme of things, I don't think the album is worse for it.

I'm ready to live my life again Like there's a chance worth takin'

— 'Heroes'

Heroes is a love letter to the lovers, the misfits, and the fuck-ups who have always been around. It's for the dreamers who want more out of life than life can give, and it's for the people who keep going despite all the BS the world can throw at you. It's an anthem for all the people who look back at life in the '80s and wish they had the freedom those kids back then did. And to them: maybe that life isn't as far away as you think.

The Amazons - 21st Century Fiction Hard rock

Rough times need rough music, and the Amazons are here to deliver. In the years since their debut in 2017, the English band have championed a grungy and seductive style of hard rock prime for headbanging in stadiums across the world. On 21st Century Fiction, the Amazons dial up the urgency to 11 on their heaviest work yet. 'Living A Lie' opens the album with a chilling, cinematic string section, which leads into Royal Blood-infused riffs building up to a dance-like beat halfway through the song. 'My Blood' brings a self-confident anthem the Amazons are best known for, even bringing in a horns section which makes it all the more powerful, while 'Love Is A Dog From Hell' is a blazing fast country-inspired track named after one of famed poet Charles Bukowski's poetry collections, exploring themes of American life, and the ups and downs of love and heartbreak. You can really hear the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan influence on this album, especially on these last few tracks.

Child of thunder, wild restless wonder Flashed me a smile and I came to heel

— 'Love Is A Dog From Hell'

My favorite tracks on the album, however, are the ones that stand out the most. 'Joe Bought A Gun' is perhaps the Amazons' heaviest song yet. It starts slow and sinister, but it blooms into lead vocalist Matt Thomson's bellowing voice and heart-pounding guitars, with the lyrics exploring how quickly people can abandon their morals and values when they believe they're in danger. The closing track of the album, 'Go All The Way,' is an emotional ballad about never half-hearting your dreams that would fit in with the most climactic, cinematic films out there. All in all, 21st Century Fiction is a strutting, confident hard rock album. If that sounds like you, give it a listen!

The Menzingers - Hello Exile Punk rock

I saw someone on Reddit say Hello Exile sounds like if Bruce Springsteen went punk. Throw in a bit of The Killers, and I'd say that's the perfect description of this album. I never expected punk and heartland rock to meet, but when ska punk is a thing that exists, I don't think I have the right to be. Anyway, The Menzingers did an incredible job at mixing the two genres together and making an album that's nostalgic and forward-looking at the same time.

What kind of monsters did our parents vote for?

— 'America (You're Freaking Me Out)'

With everyone in the band being in their late 30s at this point, Hello Exile gave The Menzingers a chance to look back on their lives. What are their greatest memories; their worst regrets and fears? They turn this existential fuel into infectiously catchy punk rock tunes about the political climate of America and bellowing, raging anthems of loneliness, summer romance, and nostalgia. The album dons its rose-tinted glasses with pride. Sing along to it! It's fun, I promise!

They told us who we are In spiral ladders to the stars

— 'Last To Know'

My favorite tracks are High School Friend, Last To Know, and Hello Exile.

Equinox - 'Bones' Pop

For the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest, musicians from both Bulgaria and the United States formed a supergroup called Equinox. Bones, their first and only single together, was released soon after. I'm putting this song here because I think it's criminally underrated. It won 14th place in the finals, and I'm sorry, but how the hell did Toy by Netta win first when Bones was right there? Like, seriously? Toy?

Bones is about—you guessed it—loving someone 'beyond the bones,' which is a really beautiful way to express that you love people for who they really are, instead of the personality they present to the world. We're always performing in one way or another, especially if you're singing on one of the largest stages in the world. With 'Bones,' Equinox wants you to know that there are people in this world who love you for who you really are, and not for the masks you put on.

Miguel - Sky Walker ft. Travis Scott Hip-hop, R&B

"Quick to dead the bull like a matador"

This one was a bit of a late addition, but I just had to put it on here. Sky Walker, the lead single off R&B icon Miguel's fourth album, feels angelic, because it is. Miguel's smooth, dreamy vocals glide you through the whole track, and somehow, it perfectly rides the line between a party banger that makes you feel like you're on top of the world and a chill tune to bliss out to.

But apart from all that, the thing I love most about the show is that you can just tell the creator is a huge music nerd. The characters in Kessoku Band are all named after members of Asian Kung-Fu Generation, and the Starry club where a lot of the show takes place is based on an actual club called Shelter in Shimokitazawa! Bocchi's family's dog is even named Jimihen, after Jimi Hendrix.

I don't even read that much manga, but if season 2 doesn't come out soon, I might actually pick it up.

Okay, you've gotta be shitting me. He can backflip from one drum kit onto another. What the fuck.