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Blotto
Singles Collection 2004-2007 |
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Tracklist |
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01 - Sing a Song ~No Music, No Love Life~ (Album Edit)
02 - ロマンチックモード (Romantic Mode)
03 - 雨のララバイ (Ame no Lullaby)
04 - 雨降り星 (Amefuri Hoshi)
05 - Home
06 - Millions of Kiss
07 - Come on You
08 - オアシス (Oasis)
09 - Baby, tonight
10 - 初花凜々 (Shoka Rinrin) |
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Review |
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Move over, Shiina Ringo. Your biggest rival is back in town, with her own talented band in tow. That's right, Cocco, Japan's favorite anti-hero pop star, has finally emerged from her almost four year hibernation to deliver her latest, Barairo Pop. Undoubtedly, the question on the minds of everyone familiar with Cocco was which side of the schizoid singer/songwriter would rise to the surface: the one who penned disturbing grunge freakouts a la "Countdown" while infamously having public meltdowns during performances and interviews, or the children's book author responsible for warm anthems like "Shiyaka na Ude no Inori," or once again, both?
Well, chalk it up to maturity or perspective gained during four years in her own fortress of solitude on Okinawa, or possibly the reassurance in having musical veterans from Quruli (leader Kishida Shigeru, bassist Satou Masashi and two of their session players) as her Singer Songer comrades, but everything, starting with the name under which Singer Songer's debut single was released ("Cocco-chan and Shigeru-kun") to the sunny promo pictures of the band, indicated a major turnaround for Cocco. This certainly bodes well for her music. While Cocco's aggressive, grungy fare certainly could take the listener by the throat, the fact that this style was admittedly predictable and somewhat hackneyed filed down the teeth on her seemingly ferocious bite.
And so, Singer Songer never venture into hard rock or grungy territory (but can anyone imagine Quruli doing that?), preferring to keep the fare relatively basic. Basic in this case, however, is not at all pejorative. Singer Songer thrives on simplicity. Barairo Pop, from start to finish, rings true of Cocco's previous albums, almost as if this were a direct continuation upon her last solo outing Sangrose. But everything, everything - the melody, backing vocals, subtle string arrangements, plays to this outfit's strengths. The vocal lines on "Shoka Rinrin," their major debut, are tailored perfectly to match Cocco's wispy, melancholy voice. The guitar accompaniments are classic Quruli; clearly rising several notches above Cocco's old backing band, but never interfering with her vocals. It doesn't hurt, either, that the hooks in "Shoka Rinrin"'s chorus are the best I've heard this year, and the rest of the album is no slouch in this department, either.
Though Cocco carries the brunt of the songwriting weight, Quruli's part in this supergroup is not to be forsaken. The upbeat guitars keep the songs sunny and the pace steady, and Satou plays a subtle but thriving countermelody to Cocco's vocals ("Romantic Mode," "Come on You"). Meanwhile, Quruli's alt-country tendencies from Antenna make a reprise appearance here on "Sing a Song " and "Amefuri Hoshi." Turns out channeling Uncle Tupelo meshes well with Cocco's voice, making for a pleasant surprise from a Japanese band.
Still, all is not as rose-colored as the album's title may suggest. Unfortunately, Cocco's inclination for overusing English was not locked away during her sabbatical, with no fewer than three songs completely in English. Two of these materialize into introspective, folky numbers, just like on her solo work. While her slightly hazy English delivery steers clear of becoming grating (as it used to) and the lyrics are surprisingly well conceived, both of these grind the album's moderate, deliberate momentum to a halt. The vocals are not as melodious or memorable either; disappointing since the instrumentation here is limited to sparse guitar or piano.
Singer Songer's debut effort signals much more than the resuming of a superlative talent in pop music. The way Barairo Pop often overflows with melody gives the impression that Cocco's been saving up her best for four years and finally had to make a recording to relieve herself of all the notes stacked up in her head. That she decided to make a return to music and find accomplices in Quruli is nothing short of a double blessing. Supergroups may not always be lasting, but more than any other in Japan's music scene, I hope this one is built for the ages. |
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