(The above video may or may not make you dizzy. But I love it. It's pretty much the pinnacle of graphic art skill in my mind.)

Note: Son Lux is a band consisting of Ryan Lott (vocals), Rafiq Bhatia (guitarist), and Ian Chang (drummer). However, it used to be a one-man show with just Ryan Lott, and the new guys only joined a couple years ago. So I usually refer to Son Lux as one person because that's what I'm used to. Whoops. Sorry, Bhatia and Chang.

Yes hello I'm obsessed with Son Lux and y'all have probably heard me talk about him before. So here, I shall explain why he is amazing (and why he may not be for everybody), break down each of his albums (listed in release order), and talk about my top ten favorites.

Why Son Lux is Awesome

~so many different sounds

~Ryan Lott is a musical genius who writes weirdly beautiful masterpieces

~each album has a distinct tone
     -I wouldn't be able to describe said tones in words, probably, but it's true

~perfect to listen to when you're feeling edgy/moody/angsty/done with the world

~if Son Lux was a writer, he'd write fantasy punk
     -magic and mostly medieval times, but also technology infused with the magic and a more modern feel in the medieval settings
     -and lots of angst, but, like, deep angst that's actually plot-relevant
     -he'd also write epics
     -and maybe gritty cyberpunk?
     -he'd just write all the fantasy/sci-fi subgenres
           ~with a different one for each album

~his music makes you feel like you're part of something bigger than yourself

~pretty much anything can fit a character
    -you just get this feeling like "this song is describing my character" even if all the lyrics don't match up
    -it's the mood that fits

~THE WEAPONS MOTIF
    -okay so he has this motif from the first song he ever wrote, with two parts: "put down all your weapons / let my in through your open wounds"
    -and the tune for one or both parts is scattered throughout the entire rest of the Son Lux collection
    -it's like an Easter egg hunt to find the Weapons motif
    -and he makes it work with so many different tunes that you wouldn't think fit with it until you hear it

~along with repetition of the Weapons motif, there are lots of repeating words in the lyrics that make all the albums feel interconnected, even though they're so different in tone
     -especially using the titles of albums in different albums, like the words "bones," "lanterns," and "rising"
     -he also mentions lungs a lot? Not sure what's up with that, but I like it because it's such a random thing to use in his lyrics

~Ryan Lott's voice is beautiful
     -though sometimes (most times) hard to understand
     -but that just means you get to hear new lyrics almost every time you listen
     -you slowly gain the ability to pick out what he's saying
     -he also can do so many weird and cool things with his voice

~the lyrics are wonderfully vague
     -sometimes you wonder "how the heck did he even come up with that line" and other times you're just flabbergasted by his poetic ability (sometimes at the same time)

~his rhythms are amazing
     -seriously amazing
     -sometimes, he'll have what sounds like two different time signatures happening at the same time
     -they don't always make sense, but they all fit

~you never get bored of (most of) his songs because they're so unpredictable

Why Son Lux Might Not Be for You

~he's definitely an acquired taste

~Ryan Lott's hard to understand at first

~lots of weird noises
    -I mean lots of weird noises

~sometimes the songs devolve into chaos
    -it's organized chaos, but it takes a while before you can get a sense of the structure

~he has some brash sounds that may be a turn-off
    -when I'm overstimulated by sound, listening to Bones, At War with Walls and Mazes, and/or Remedy is a bad idea
    -if you want softer songs that won't make your adrenaline spike, try these
          ~"Flickers," "Flowers," and "Rebuild" from the album Rising
          ~"Ransom," "Enough of Our Machines", and "Lanterns Lit" from the album Lanterns
          ~"Breathe Out" from the album Bones
          ~"Remedy" from the Remedy EP
          ~"Labor," "Slowly," and "Aquatic" from the album Brighter Wounds

~if you don't like the first or even first five songs you hear, don't write him off
     -try a couple songs from each album
     -you'll find and album or two that you like
           ~I hope

Son Lux Albums
Note: There are some remixed albums I don't know much about, so I'm just focusing on the main albums and a couple of the remix albums.

At War with Walls and Mazes: This was the very first Son Lux album (published in 2008). You can tell. The songs go on forever, and there's pretty much only one phrase repeated the whole time (or a couple variations on a phrase). But I still listen to some songs from AWWM, because they're classic Son Lux. This album also has the original "Weapons," which is legendary in my mind because it was the start of the glorious Weapons motif that I love so much.

We Are Rising: This album has such a pretty, laidback tone. The songs seem to outline a story about a medieval fantasy rebellion. Maybe it's just me, though. The style is still older, but not bad older the way AWWM kind of is. It's good older.

Lanterns: This was my first Son Lux album, and it's the first thing I think of when you say "Son Lux." This album defines Son Lux, in my opinion. The songs have a lot of different tones, from the soft lullaby of "Lanterns Lit" to the upbeat "No Crimes."

Alternate Worlds: I said Lanterns was my first Son Lux album. Well, this EP was my first exposure to Son Lux period ("Easy (feat. Lorde)" to be specific). I love this EP, because Ryan Lott remixed four of his own songs from the Lanterns album. I don't know why that's so cool to me, but it is. It wasn't the first time - he has at least three different versions of "Weapons" - but it was the first time I heard. I just love how Lott can take a tune or a motif and then create multiple songs out of them, with different instruments and sometimes even, like in the case with "Pyre" and "Build a Pyre (Begin Again)," different moods.

Bones: This was the first album with Bhatia and Chang. It's also my least favorite album. It's pretty harsh on your ears. I like some of the songs a lot, like "Undone" and "Now I Want," but the entire album in general isn't usually on my radar. I usually only hear the songs when they show up in shuffle.

Stranger Forms: Another self-remixed EP, this one of the album Bones. When I saw that this existed, I wasn't sure about it - I don't really like Bones, so I wasn't sure I'd like this one. And, eh, I was pretty much right. Except "You Don't Own Me (feat. Hanna Benn)," because it sounds like has instruments you'd find in a marching band, and I just did marching band last fall. And there's an amazing saxophone solo.

Remedy: I love this EP. So much. Its songs are pretty conspiratorial, but I love that. And its title song helps calm me down. The cover art is beautiful, too. I just... I love this EP.

Brighter Wounds: This is the newest album, and it's great. The mood makes me think of the second season of Gravity Rises, especially "Labor" - probably because it's what I'm writing right now. Back when Bones came out, it basically became my Spock album for a good year or so. (It's not anymore.) The newest Son Lux album and whatever I'm currently writing correlate in my head for some reason. But the songs remind me of the Order headquarters and the deep purple Order robes. And even before I made that connection, I really loved the album. Ryan Lott does a lot of cool vocal things in this album, and the lyrics/tones feel wistful and languid. Compare this album to AWWM, and you'll see just how far Son Lux has come in ten years.

(I'd recommend starting with Lanterns, just 'cause that's where I started, but starting with We Are Rising is cool too, and really anywhere is fine.)

Top Ten Favorite Songs

We Are Rising:
~Rising (this song makes me feel empowered)

Lanterns:
~Ransom (the line "lanterns illumine me" makes no sense because "illumine" is not a word but I still love it, and the layered female voices sound awesome)
~No Crimes (this whole album has a lot of layered female voices. Idk where Lott got them, but they sound cool. This song is the closest you'll get to "peppy" with Son Lux, and it gives me energy)
~Enough of Our Machines (this song just sounds so done with the world, and I sometimes relate to that)
~Lanterns Lit (as mentioned above, this song feels like a lullaby, a promise given to a loved one)

Remedy:
~Dangerous (this song has two separate lines of music in two different time signatures. Either that or one of the lines is entirely in triplets. Either way, they're separate and they don't ever match up, but they still feel like they belong together and it's beautiful)
~Remedy (very soothing. Kinda reminds me of Undertale. But totally different at the same time)

Brighter Wounds:
~Aquatic (it's just... so relaxing. And beautiful. I've also figured it out on the piano, and I love when I can play songs as well as hear them)
~Labor (this song makes me think of Ford singing to the portal as he tries to turn it back on. I love Ford, so I love the song. Also it's a good song)
~All Directions (this song has weird bouncing ball noises and they sound really cool. I also go around singing "weren't we beautiful once" because that line repeats soooo much. But musically it's a beautiful line (pun intended) and I love it)

Honorable Mentions

We Are Rising:
~Flickers (the entire sound of the We Are Rising album makes me weirdly happy, and this song encompasses that sound)

Stranger Forms:
~You Don't Own Me (that saxophone solo 👌👌👌)

Brighter Wounds:
~Young (it's only 1:11 long, but wow I love this song. Ryan Lott saying "young" and holding out the nnnnng sound gives me life)

I may or may not have spent three hours of my life writing this chapter. I just... I love Son Lux, and I want to share him with the world. If you've made it this far, I hope you give him a try!