Amateur Recommendation Hour: Moonrise

Today’s recommendation is courtesy of my favorite currently active Korean band of which, especially in mainstream Korean music, there are precious few of (let more bands have opportunities you cowards). I try to support Korean bands as much as I possibly can considering how much they are up against when it comes to establishing themselves domestically to any degree of popularity. The barrier of entry is so high in regards to groups that are not solely dance-focused, so when one is able to make waves, not just internationally but within Korea as well, it’s hard to not root for them. Even since SeoTaiji And The Boys broke through, bringing western-styled rock music to the Korean market en-masse in the 90s, there is still somewhat of an inexplainable stigma against bands in the country.

Moonrise, by Day6, is the sophomore studio album of the versatile Korean rockers and with it comes a much more cohesive sound. Unlike Sunrise, their precious full album which had an emphasis on fast-tempo and more light hearted songs in favor of a sound and style that has far more of a personal feel to them. There are still some there make no mistake, this is Day6 after all, but the majority of the record has more raw, melancholic tracks, finding a nice synergy between funk-rock and British rock making it feel like a fully cohesive record as opposed to their aforementioned previous record which only partially checked those boxes.

The tracks feel well placed to convey these emotions and messages. I am a stickler for logical track placement within an album to create a more collective and cohesive experience and Moonrise does a fantastic job of creating a semi-narrative feel to the proceedings. Or at the very least a vignette style of "storytelling" if you will. Though I'm well-aware I'm definitely in the minority in terms of how I prefer to listen to my music, rather than creating playlists and having them shuffle.

There is a certain emotional heft that permeates most of the record, right off the bat the album opener “Better Better” makes that evidently obvious with a more aggressively weary bite to its composition. Cavernous but cautiously optimistic about an indefinite future. Continuing on “I Like You” on the face, both lyrically and thematically would seem like it’s barreling towards the light side, however that weariness and nervousness is even more evident in the tempo and softer vocals. Remember high school? Telling someone you like them way so, weighty, heavy, tense. The exhalation after the words come out followed up by the social buzz created amongst the large peer network conveyed beautifully through its chorus.

The complexity of songwriting in comparison to previous works is also noticeable. The driving eighth note synth conclusion to “What Can I Do” or the main, almost Gaelic riff to “I Remember” are small but meaningful examples of the compositional muscle that Day6 are able to flex on this second full album. The latter a wistful recollection of a bygone joyful time in our lives that shaped us for the better, forever.

“Whatever” and “Be Lazy” add in some nice tonal variation to manage a balance of both light and heavy while still keeping the overall weight previously established still firmly on the record’s shoulders. “Hi Hello” a legato and gentle memory of a first meeting, “I Loved You” a starry sky of lonesome nostalgia, and “When You Love Someone” the morning after that night, the dreams fading away into the bright and unforgiving morning of lethargy and emptiness.

“All Alone” continues in this vein down the thematic and emotional regression, an organic, Beatles-esque recollection of memories and realization. “Pouring” an exclamation of pain, lonesomeness, and most importantly anger. “I Need Somebody” the gentle letdown after the expression anger and existential questioning, still holding onto that anger through the biting guitar chords intermittently appearing, before finally resolving with “I Will Try” the knowledge gained through the pain that in order to survive this life of loving we must move forward an emotionally stronger and smarter being. It hurts, and of course it did. It meant something, it still means something, even in it’s gentle and most aggressive pain, even if we can never be, love is worth trying. It always is.

My personal interpretations of this work are that it is a conceptual and anthological piece about romantic relationships, the various stages they go through, and how we process those emotions at various stages throughout our lives. I believe that there is a story for each and every one of us, no matter how old or young, that can relate to. Not that relatability is inherently better for impact in artistic creations, I’ve always believed that, but it certainly doesn’t hurt in creating connectivity between the artistic and the subject. Anyone with any experience in that area knows that no romance is one-note emotional consistency. Those waves are natural, and we ride them because we love, we care, and we desire.

Music is definitely more of a subjective medium than any of the others I’ve covered. Combined with the language barrier it might be a more difficult sell to the casual listener, but you all know me as someone who thinks more outside the box, no matter how little people care about the box or what’s outside of it. My individuality getting the best of me yet again. With all of that needless personal fluff out of the way I hope you give this album and international art as whole a chance.