Resonance of Twilight: Emo Western Songs Echoing at Summer’s End

RegretNew Order

New Order – Regret (Official Music Video)

New Order, the great techno-rock band from the UK that built a bridge between techno and rock and gained widespread popularity—including a large fanbase in Japan.

From early in their career, their innovative yet pop-leaning sound incorporating synthesizers became hits not only in their home country but also in the U.

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Many musicians from the alternative rock generation openly cite them as an influence.

While New Order have produced plenty of floor-friendly dance tracks, they’ve also created numerous classics with wistful, nostalgic melodies.

Today I’d like to highlight “Regret,” a song that perfectly fits the sense of nostalgia that late summer brings.

The synth tones in the intro, Peter Hook’s melodic bass lines, and Bernard Sumner’s vocals—singing with a naive yet defiant emotional edge—are achingly beautiful and absolutely superb.

It leans heavily into guitar rock, so I recommend it even to those who aren’t into techno.

Baby I Love Your WayPeter Frampton

Will to Power – Baby I Love Your Way

Peter Frampton is a singer-songwriter and guitarist from the United Kingdom.

His 1976 live album “Frampton Comes Alive!” achieved phenomenal sales for the time and catapulted him to fame.

“Baby, I Love Your Way,” included on the album, was frequently aired alongside “Show Me the Way.”

New FriendsPinegrove

Pinegrove – “New Friends” (Official Audio)

I’d like to introduce “New Friends” as a song that portrays the end of summer from a slightly unusual perspective.

It’s a track by the rock band Pinegrove.

The story follows a man who comforts a friend after a breakup at summer’s end.

The poignant exchanges between the man and his friend are a must-hear.

Because it’s told strictly from an outsider’s viewpoint, much is left unsaid, which invites the listener’s imagination—another part of its appeal.

Alternatively, you can listen while empathizing with the friend who’s being comforted.

Summer’s GonePlacebo

Placebo – Summer’s Gone (Official Audio)

Beautifully capturing the bittersweet feeling at summer’s end, this song has long been cherished as one of Placebo’s signature works.

Featured on the album “Without You I’m Nothing,” released in October 1998, it is characterized by the band’s mature sound and profound lyrics.

Melancholic yet somehow hopeful, the track is perfect for those looking back on summer memories while taking a step into a new season.

Alongside Placebo’s distinctive musicality, it will stay close to your heart.

It’s also recommended for twilight drives or for listening alone on a quiet night.

Summer Turns To HighR.E.M.

Summer Turns To High

R.

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, known for their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Their song “Summer Turns To High” is also recommended.

As the title suggests, it portrays the experience of enjoying summer at its peak.

That might make you imagine an up-tempo sound, but this track is crafted as a gentle, subdued ballad.

Because of that, while listening, you may picture not “the liveliness of summer,” but rather “the end of summer.” Give it a listen and let your thoughts wander.

One of Those Summer DaysRhye

Rhye – One of Those Summer Days

Based in Los Angeles, Rhye drew attention from their debut as a mysterious musical duo, earning high praise in the R&B and pop scenes of the 2010s and beyond for their meticulously crafted, beautifully sensual sound and thoroughly conceptual artwork.

Originally a two-piece consisting of Canadian singer Mike Milosh and Danish producer Robin Hannibal, since 2017 the project has continued as a musical collective led by Milosh.

The track introduced here, “One of Those Summer Days,” appears on Rhye’s acclaimed 2013 debut album Woman.

Milosh’s remarkable, gender-defying vocals—evocative of Sade Adu—and the restrained, elegant arrangement are exquisite, beautifully coloring memories of late summer.

Never Dreamed You’d Leave in SummerStevie Wonder

Never Dreamed You’d Leave In Summer

A genius who awakened to his musical talent in childhood and, at the age of 11, signed with the prestigious Motown record label: Stevie Wonder.

Among the many masterpieces Stevie has created, I’d like to introduce the classic that sings squarely about a summer heartbreak, “Never Dreamed You’d Leave in Summer.” Released in 1971 on his 13th studio album, “Where I’m Coming From,” it’s also known in Japan by the title “Natsu ni Kieta Koi” (“Love That Vanished in Summer”).

For Stevie, it has the feel of a fairly straightforward ballad, and the sound—colored by his soaring vocals along with oboe and strings—evokes a nostalgic longing for the summer that has passed.

As an aside, on Common’s 1997 track “Retrospect for Life,” Lauryn Hill, who appears as a guest, quotes the chorus of this song.