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Blotto
Singles Collection 2004-2007 |
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Tracklist |
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01 - Kagerou
02 - Shichi-gatsu no Uchuuyuuei
03 - Genjyou 1
04 - s a m p o
05 - jellies
06 - Genjyou 2
07 - FRIENDS FOREVER
08 - Oh! Blue Bird
09 - Betty
10 - Secret Track (Only On 1st Edition) |
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Review |
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With the demise of college radio rockers Sunny Day Service in 2000, the Japanese music world had a large gap to fill in the melodic acoustic pop rock area. However, the one person that could likely fill that gap was still hanging around: Sokabe Keiichi, the main singer and songwriter of the aforementioned Sunny Day Service. Sokabe's got even bigger shoes to fill though, as with his fourth solo release, sketch of shimokitazawa, he also becomes the first artist to release an album in the S.O.S. [The Sound of Shimokitazawa] Series.
The S.O.S. Series is supposed to release music dedicated to the small, popular area in Japan just outside of Tokyo named Shimokitazawa. It's a place known for its shops, bars, and live venues - an area where artists love to be. Cars can barely fit on the neighborhood streets as they are very narrow. Unfortunately for many of the artists that love the area, plans to improve the streets and urbanize the area are in effect. The S.O.S. Series is an effort by artists to capture the beloved sound and atmosphere of Shimokitazawa before it's too late and it turns into Shibuya's little brother. Though I've never been to the area, listening to Sokabe's sketch of shimokitazawa really gives me the sense that I've been there before. While this feeling is very captivating, the songs on the album are all tinged with a kind of solitary sadness, as if I've lived there for years now and I'm never coming back.
Fans of Sunny Day Service will immediately notice that Sokabe's solo sound is even more stripped bare than Sunny Day Service's. Gone on almost all of the tracks are the drums, the second (often electric) guitar, and the backup vocals. What's left is Sokabe's acoustic guitar and his voice, which sounds consistently more melancholy yet more soothing than what he did with Sunny Day Service. With the album opener "Kagerou," Sokabe shows how bare his sound or perhaps Shimokitazawa's sound, can be, as he starts with a slow yet catchy guitar riff and begins to croon out words. It's a very simple song though, as there's really no change in melody. In the background, however, surreal sounds - likely recorded in Shimokitazawa - of a light wind, a scooter, and children playing are heard far off in the distance. The "real life" noises don't feel obtrusive at all, instead making it feel like you're hearing Sokabe play right there with you on the streets. Under three minutes combined, "Genjyou 2" only features these kinds of "real" noises, while "Genjyou 1" has Sokabe talking to someone, followed by laughter.
The song "s a m p o" also shares a kind of street show vibe like "Kagerou," but it's far more upbeat. Featuring a xylophone and conga drums, or something like it, plus some background vocals, this is the closest Sokabe ever gets to the catchy sound of Sunny Day Service. However, it's far more experimental than his past works. It's as if Sokabe got some random nearby artists, who didn't necessarily share the same musical tastes as him, to collaborate with. Still, the melody is unchanging and no real surprises, besides the new instruments, come out of the song. The song that follows, "jellies," is also a bit more experimental, with an electronic drum beat and heavy bass, reminiscent of the kind of sound Sokabe seemed to be playing around with on the final Sunny Day Service album, Love Album. Though I didn't expect it to arrive at all, experimentation on the album basically ends with this song.
Sunny Day Service fans finally get to hear what Sokabe can do in an especially loose atmosphere. The bulk of the album is covered by just two songs, which together span nearly 29 minutes. This is almost unheard of for Sokabe's previous work with Sunny Day Service, who only had two songs in their whole discography go past the 8-minute mark. "Betty" replaces the acoustic guitar with piano and is arguably the most soothing song on the entire album - which is filled with calm, peaceful songs. The 21 minute "Shichi-gatsu no Uchuuyuuei" has nice interplay between Sokabe's guitar improvisation and an acoustic bass. The whole song seems like it was made up on the spot, but it still sounds terrific. Never dragging on, it's like one of those jam songs you only occasionally hear about - as they never seem to find a way to be recorded for all the world to hear.
I find it hard to knock an album that's just trying to go for its little niche. Overall, some of the songs like "Kagerou," "FRIENDS FOREVER" and "s a m p o" could have gone one step further than they did. Some of the melodies were just too simple and Sokabe didn't really progress with them through the course of the song. However, an album capturing the sound and history of Shimokitazawa should be simplistic, calm, mellow, and even a little sad. With that in mind though, it also makes the album less accessible as not everyone wants to hear the kind of music Sokabe's written on sketch of shimokitazawa. Though not the best way to be introduced to Sokabe's work, it fills the gap that Sunny Day Service left - just in a different way. |
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