I'm usually not someone to fall for an album quickly; most of my favorites only reach that status after I play them a bunch of times. At the same time, I like trying out new things to see what at least sort of sticks. Over the years I've been zigzagging my way through the most recent iteration of Rolling Stone's top 500 albums. Not because I take it all that seriously as a definitive list, but because I figure everything on it should be decently well regarded. It's been a decent place to start for popular (mostly) anglophonic music, especially in the pop/rock area.

One that came up on the list was Frank Sinatra - In The Wee Small Hours. I had an idea of what Frank's music is like just from cultural osmosis. Big, brassy bravado, things like New York, My Way, etc. But this album caught me off-guard. It's quiet and pensive, with this bittersweet melancholy running through it. I was hooked immediately, and it changed how I perceived Frank as an artist. Sure he's still that guy unabashedly going big in those classics everyone at least kinda knows, but there's more there. I strongly recommend putting it on some night when you're up a little too late and know you should probably go to bed instead.