ALBUM RECOMMENDATIONS |

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The old five-point scale has been retired in favor of just rating stuff 1-10, which allows me a much more nuanced final rating. Still don't take it that seriously. Most of these come from my own collection, so the grades skew rather high. Your results may vary if you send me stuff to review.

Each album is given three Essential tracks, my personal favorites, regardless of how weird and inconsequential they are. The Quintessential pick is the one I think best represents the album as a whole, so you can try one song instead of a whole album of songs. Non-Essential picks range from merely disappointing to outright unlistenable.

Trevor Alan Gomes

[#] Piano Collections: Pokémon Blue (2017)

Reviewed September 1, 2025

Gotta play 'em all!

Piano Collections: Pokémon Blue album art

I've been completing my 'dex in the 3DS Virtual Console version of Pokémon Blue lately (necessitating a playthrough of Red, natch), and it's reminded me of this wonderfully whimsical piano arrangement of its wonderfully iconic soundtrack. All credit to Trevor Alan Gomes, this is a scary project with "novelty record" written all over it--you can even "pick your starter" with one of four identical versions of the album, only differing in their cover art. (Squirtle represent!) Thing is, this isn't just expertly performed, the piano an ideal vessel for the limited, tinny sonic palette of the Game Boy, there's imagination in the arrangements that really bring out the atmosphere of each theme and make a full listen an engagingly dynamic affair.

This goes roughly in game order, starting with the title screen and Oak's monologue into Pallet Town, then Oak's lab, your rival's appearance, Viridian and forest, and so on, with the special themes for wild battles, evolution, and items like the Poké Flute sprinkled in for flavor. Gomes and occasional dueler Kyle Landry are fine pianists, control of dynamics keen and melodic phrasing clean, but where this album most shines is in Gomes' arranging. It's the regal framework he hangs Pewter's theme on, the eerie, stilted Mt. Moon as though he too is dodging Zubats, the pomp and glamour of his take on Celadon City, that breathes life into these soundtrack standards. About the only issue is that nice arrangements probably won't save your less favorite (or indeed, the less memorable) tunes on the OST. Otherwise, Pokémon fans, line up here.