We’re back with a look at the K-Indie chart of June. The ranking has the top ten bestselling albums of the past month. So let’s dive right in!
This is quite a shake-up from last month’s top 10. The Black Skirt and wave to earth are frequent visitors, as are HYUKOH. While UmYull has been in the top ten before, it hasn’t been with ‘Wishes of The Youth.’
JANNABI – Sound of Music pt.1
Jannabi snagged the top spot with their new album ‘Sound of Music pt.1’. This EP comes 4 years after their XX
We open the album with the intro ‘Music‘. It’s a cute and melancholic moment that’s a perfect opener.
In the album description they wrote that the Mickey Mouse alarm clock which he used to get up to had different songs. “I thought about one Sunday morning with that clock. All the family members except me were awake and sitting around my bed. My brother would tell me to get up and play the music in the clock one by one. I woke up to the sound of the music flowing out and asked them to play a certain song again, and everyone quietly listened to that monotone music. That was the first feeling I remember of music, and I wanted to record that moment.”
‘Flash’ is a fun track with a really cool progression and honestly a super sick layering. “I go to the studio every day, sit in front of my mom’s piano, and hope for a momentary flash of light. And that’s my job. My dream of music was grand.”
‘I WILL DIE FOR YOU♥x3’ has really rad guitars and is a song about music itself and everyone who loves/lives for it. It’s a fun rock track with great layering and cool vocals. There’s a lovely piano line in there as well. The bridge was perfect. This is a BIG song and will be absolutely epic live.
Next up is the title track ‘May the TENDERNESS be with you!’ featuring Karina of aespa. This is such a wonderful, dreamy folk pop track. I love the combination of their vocals.
We’re getting some lovely brass in ‘I watched the sunset from the rooftop’. This is a dreamy listen and I really enjoyed how soft the instruments sounded, almost like we’re in a lively city hearing it from afar. The strings in the bridge were lovely! And the entire outro was just to die for.
‘To the Rainbow, Juno!’ is an 80s synth dream interlude.
‘All the Boys and Girls, Pt.1: Birdman’ and ‘All the Boys and Girls, Pt.2: The Rainbow’ are the last two tracks. They’re both uplifting and thematically connected.
Honestly this is a well-deserved number 1. It’s a love letter to music.
Shin In Ryu – Shining Strike
The trio Shin In Ryu released their full-length album ‘Shining Strike’. They landed on the second spot with their April release.
‘Shining Strike’ introduces the listener to Soul Village where all your worries melt away and every song is one floor, where each floor gets you farther and farther away from your worries.
The intro creates a really wide and big soundscape. It’s really dope and sets the scene for the story to unfold. I loved the playful flutes in the instrumentation.
‘Return to Picnic’ is a wonderful indie rock moment with stunning vocals and an impressive build-up. The bridge is insane and connects to the intro.
Next up is ‘Incomplete Echo’. I really enjoyed the synths they added to the instrumentation. This line from the song introduction was what gripped me: “When all the words on the radio in the quiet dawn sound like whispers to me, all the words we shared in love come to mind clearly.”
‘Strange and Beautiful’ is a lovely track with a beautiful melody and a great progression. The music video is adorable.
‘Huf’ tells us to take a break and enjoy the moment to make precious memories.
The first title track of the album is ‘Attack!’ If you ever wanted to see a dinosaur do a pirouette, watch the music video. This is literally the cutest animation.
‘Kaibutsu’ was inspired by the Japanese film ‘Monster’ directed by Hirokazu Koreeda. This is actually quite a groovy track!
‘Dilemma’ has some amazing vocals in the backing track. I also really enjoyed the piano in the opening. After that comes ‘Be The Dragon’ which tells the story of a boy and a dragon meeting and building a life together. It’s adorable.
With ‘Teeth of My Baby’ we’ve arrived on the ninth floor and “a person who has never laughed once lived. Then one day, a very cute puppy came to the door and wagged its tail. Then the corners of the person’s mouth went up, and the laughter that he had held back for a long time came down the stairs to the lower floor.”
The closing track is also the second title track. ‘First-Person Narrative’ has some amazing flutes in the instrumental again. I love how it elevates the full sound. This is a lovely closing track and begs for a re-listen of the entire album.
Listen to it here.
