Someone I Know by deulrejang feels just like a quiet evening at a park, the sound of children playing in the background while you zone out to the clouds shifting. All four tracks are quiet, pretty and may well be therapeutic for some.
It is a beautiful blend of bedroom-pop, ballad, and shoegaze, and kept in a minimal, almost bare sound in production. But in no way does it feel incomplete; rather comforting. It is an album that gives quiet accompaniment to the lonely and healing to the wounded.
The title track under the same name, “Some I Know” starts with a contrary motion progression on the piano, followed by some simple percussion and Hammond organ chords with a funky, brass baseline. Then the rich instrumentals slowly build up in harmony with deulrejang’s sweet vocals in the chorus till the end. The song awakens your inner child and invites you to dive into those memories you didn’t know existed, in the corner of your mind somewhere.
In fact, the visualisers of the album see deulrejang engaging in childhood activities like blowing bubbles, roaming the woods, and playing 공기놀이 (Gonggi). The music video for “Some I Know” features her emotionless on a swing ride, the background blurry with the low shutter as the sunlight blinds the camera. “Someone I know” sounds nostalgic, almost like one of those Japanese children’s folk songs, but with deulrejang’s own twist to it.
“Can’t Sleep” on the other hand, is an even more subtle track with quiet instrumentals and deulrejang’s bare, slightly breathy vocals. Compared to “Someone I Know,” the minimal production is intentional as the vocals melt into the woodwind-inspired base. While “Hate Me” sends the listener into an unexpected spiral of rock instrumental in the chorus, “Sometimes (Demo ver)” returns to muffled piano playing and deulrejang’s sole voice.
All in all, Someone I Know is a dainty little album that demands your attention, despite the ups and downs in its instrumental variations; all four tracks are glued together by deulrejang’s soft voice. The rich textures in the album speak the tragic story of intimate relationships well — quiet heartbreaks, rainy evenings, and the refusal to let go.
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Written by Jammy Chun for Korean Indie.