Hyukoh - 23

23 is the most recent release by the South Korea-based band, Hyukoh, who has received a pleasantly surprising amount of recognition and success as an indie band in a K Pop-dominated music industry. As an indie rock band, Hyukoh doesn't focus on just one genre, but instead creates songs based on the influences of many. You can hear traces of genres such as soul, blues, and especially rock n' roll that consist of strong instrumentation, the singer's rough and raspy but also soothing vocals, and the topics of "relationships and life," as stated in an interview available on noisey.vice.com. The album's title comes from the age of all the members at the time that it was created, as they have done with their past albums, 20 and 22.

"Leather Jacket" seems to embody the need to run away; whether it's from people, decisions, struggles, or life as a whole can be debated. The music video matches the lyrics well in portraying some teenagers messing around, being reckless and rebellious, and seemingly wrestling with their own inner turmoil. The song resembles old school rock n' roll in that it includes the common theme of youthful rebellion and also has a fun, energetic melody that makes you want to spin, kick, and swing your arms; particularly during the chorus.

"Tomboy" is a part of the soft, ballad side of the album and describes the challenge and fear involved with being a young adult, particularly in your twenties. The verses are very calm and melancholy, but then build into the chorus that seems to get more and more emotional each time it's repeated so that by the time it gets to the final chorus, the amount of passion that can be heard in the singer's voice is almost overwhelming. This song is accompanied by a unique music video that's animated in the form of black and white stop-motion drawings. It features a number of animals and creatures in the wilderness, following a story that's strange and perplexing, yet intriguing and fitting to the song's sentimentality.

While the structure of "Wanli" is fairly simple, mainly consisting of a few riffs that are repeated throughout the song and only two vocal verses, this is possibly the most intense and enticing track on the album. Something about "Wanli," from the marching that acts as the bookends to the song, to the obscurity of the lyrics sung and harmonized by haunting voices, the deep vocal droning, or even the scenery of the music video, makes it feel very traditional. The introductory marching and guitar riff give it a bold start that mellows out going into the verse, but builds right back up again into an instrumental part that's accompanied by the deep droning, completely filling the space and officially making it an epic, power-driven song. 23 is a fantastic album in that it displays Hyukoh's incredible talent and versatility, meeting expectations of fans and impressing new ones by providing a set of tracks that seem to just get more enjoyable every time they're listened to.

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