Akron/Family: Self-Titled (2005)

For me, Akron/Family is a band that changed my life. I started listening to them in around 2007 when "Love is Simple" came out. It quickly became one of my favorite albums of all time. From there, I went backwards in their collection and discovered gems like this self-titled debut LP. This album truly changed my life. While most of the songs seem to be about either loving the world and all of its people, accepting your role in life and recognizing its beauty, or several other various philosophical beliefs often held by Buddhists, the foundation of the album seems to be sadness. This makes the music beautifully human in a way. This album truly is nearly perfect, and I recommended it.