The Foreign Department by Astrel K

As the building blocks of your identity slosh around your mind in a state of flux, you cling on to a vessel to keep you from drowning in the moment, a decision which comes back to bite when the vessel buckles under your weight. Such a situation recently happened to alternative pop artist Astrel K after he made an international move to keep up with a long-term relationship. Once that relationship broke down, he found himself lost in a strange land, adrift in the sea of identity as the bricks that once dotted the surface slowly melted into the abyss. Striking back against this personal turmoil, Astrel K’s new album The Foreign Department crafts a tranquil sound with clean, poppy vocals, softly swelling string sections, and jumpy yet relatively upbeat guitar work. Adding the lyrics to this recipe significantly darkens the album, showing us a lost artist who feels the need to apologize for his fractured mental state. However, just by taking the time and energy to make such a thoughtful, personal album, Astrel K has honed his musical identity which should go on to serve him well on his identity construction project, suggesting for any of us who face similar issues in our lives to turn to artistic expression as an answer.