I think I unfairly dismissed Nick Drake's landmark folk release 'Pink Moon' upon first hearing it years back. Everything about it was just so...**small** - be it the intimate recording, limited sonic palate, repetitive and simplistic songwriting, hushed vocals, or even less than thirty-minute runtime. I find it juxtaposes its colorful, whimsical, and downright intangible album art in many ways. Though I've known, for years, that I HAD to relisten this thing eventually. And before even hitting play, I knew I would get more out of it now, considering the headspace I'm in. This album **is** small, evoking no more than the image of a directionless man sitting under a tree at dawn with his acoustic guitar - rhyming up whatever comes to his head. It's a raw record in that sense. And yeah it's pretty damn sad too. You can interpret a "Pink Moon" however you like but the idea of this all-encompassing entity inevitably "getting" everyone regardless of class is quite frightening...on paper. But Nick's way of delivering this "news" makes it seem more sad than scary, with him sounding almost unbothered by it. Maybe "unbothered" isn't the right way of putting it - a song like 'Things Behind The Sun' sort of builds on this idea of an ever-looming presence that facilitates human life's endless cycle of despair, and here, Nick leans into this notion that there's nothing that can be done about it. In the second half, Nick sort of goes into this idea of trying to connect with others because, ultimately, our only real purpose is to exist for those who care about and will remember us. 'Harvest Breed' has Drake falling through his years trying to form any sort of connection, regardless of whether it's superfluous or not (as a song like 'Free Ride' indicates). 'Parasite' may be the most tragic song here - it's one thing to want to be ignored, like a bug, but parasites aren't often ignored but rather loathed and despised - despite being a part of nature themselves. Parasites are the lowest of the low, having to cling onto and leech off their host's resources just to survive. Drake's depression was no secret, especially since he would go on to overdose and pass away from anti-depressants after this album was released. I'd say a song like this offers the most striking image of that. I'm almost thankful that this album closes on a hopeful note, with Nick essentially implying that the only thing that's "real" is the nature around us and that the life we choose to live is nothing but a game we choose to participate in every morning. There's something so pure about the way he implores the listener to see the world in its purest form through nature - it's a tear-jerking conclusion to both the record and his career. While this song makes me sad that Nick never got to overcome his struggles, it's a very strong message to leave the world with. Oh yeah, the music and singing are pretty great too - they form a tight, warm atmosphere that perfectly complements the writing, which is what ultimately gripped me this time around. Without a doubt, it's a very impactful record for many, and one I'll be sure to revisit periodically just because of how pure it is.