"Save it for a rainy day." --Proverbs

In the interest of full disclosure, today's album is technically an EP. However, considering that this EP has eleven tracks, I included it. In true NYU fashion, I'd like to begin my review by rendering a scene:

The streets are wet from the torrential downpour last night, and I'm still groggy from the lack of sleep and stress this exam week has imposed upon me. As I walk to work, attempting to avoid soaking my shoes in puddles, a chilly spring-morning breeze reminds me that I should have worn a jacket, but I had already packed it away in preparation for my flight home, quickly approaching. I heave a sigh, filled with melancholy, thinking of all the friends I won't see for almost four months, and some I may never see again. In search of an album to reflect my mood, I happened upon Activate by Wolftron. Kenny Choi, a solo artist from Washington state, has a mournful voice, that rarely strays into a whine. His guitar and keys work provide the backbone of the music, with sparse, but tasteful, use of strings and drum machine in the background. But what does his music say about larger society?

And that's where the scene ends, with me not actually asking that last question. (By the way, my Advanced College Essay teacher scorns the use of transitional rhetorical questions, so I just had to use it in an act of rebellion which will never be seen by him.) In all seriousness, however, this indie folk/acoustic album is perfect for down days. The songs have a sorrowful energy to them, not from the lyrics or tempo, but from pure emotion. Though Mr. Choi's work would not be on the top of my playlist every day, I would certainly turn to Activate on those days where the sun just never seems to peek out from behind the clouds.