Music Monday: The Louie Zong Chill Trio

Just a quick one today. I like streaming my Jellyfin window when I'm in Discord calls, and I've recently been gravitating towards a recurring playlist for Vylraz Radio of three albums from Louie Zong. His three most recent releases play excellently as a sequence into each other, so I wanted to recommend them both on their own merits and as a sequence.

Spyglass is up first, a folk music/electric hybrid. It's the epitome of easy listening for my taste - soothing but with nuance for when you want to pay attention. It's a brief step into a quirkier and more whimsical world, one very much reminiscent of the I Spy books that the art and track titles take a lot of their inspiration from. In playlist form, this sets the tone brilliantly for a rejuvenating, satisfying sequence not unlike a hot bath. I am particularly fond of "a landlock boat".

DANTS picks up the pace very brilliantly. Its more comprehensible vocalization in the title track of "DANTS. DANTS." really wakes you up after being lulled by Spyglass. The smooth vibe ensures this isn't jarring, and the R&R of the prior album enables us to feel a boost of energy as the more active dance elements kick into gear. Rest is good for its own sake, but it's also good because it lets us party, as exemplified by the extremely groovy "Mission: Picnic".

If Spyglass is a nap and DANTS is partying after you refresh, Strange Weather is both the synthesis of outright chill and energetic dance with a very electric jazz and also captures the feeling of being adrift in the Strange Weather of everyday life. It's a cliche, of course, but I wouldn't mind this being the theme music of life, chaotic but rewarding of finding an underlying harmony. "Sunrise Sunshower" stands out to me as the feeling of looking out at a horizon and having the world as your oyster.

Conveniently for us, the release order of Spyglass -> DANTS -> Strange Weather functions beautifully as a playlist. It's got a lovely progression on top of all three albums being good on their own, and clocking in at an hour and six minutes, it's very easy to fit it in. Give it a try - it functions beautifully as background noise, your total focus, or anything in between.

You can find the albums discussed available for purchase (pay what you want style) on Louie Zong's Bandcamp.