GK:AD is sorta-kinda on a mini-hiatus right now for holy crap LIFE! reasons, so Id like to do a review right now if you guys dont mind :D I havent really had a chance to edit it (I mean I gave it a once-over but thats about it) so if any part of it is just really bad or has an obvious typo, let me know! :) SHIINA RINGO - SUNNY --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The new Shiina Ringo album is perfect. Her last few albums have been more coherent than this one, admittedly, but in this case thats not a bad thing. Sunny takes everything Shiina has done correctly in all her past albums and put it together into one fantastic work. It feels very much as though all her previous work has led to this. On the surface, its not the groundbreaking work of art that some of her past albums (most notably 2003s Kalk Samen Chestnut Flower) have been, in part because its not as adventurous. In exchange for a journey into new territory, Shiina Ringo gives us a demonstration of self-awareness thats rare among pop musicians. She knows her strengths & weaknesses, having taken a critical eye to her past successes and apparent failures, and shes applied that knowledge to the creation of this album. From the choice of what songs to include (one of which was composed before her 1998 debut, another was released as a single 5 years ago), to how previously released songs have been reworked (lyrical language changes and new arrangements), to what genres are represented here, Sunny gives us a very complete snapshot of Shiina Ringos musical aesthetic. As for how that aesthetic sounds, good is the only word that can describe it. Her melodies (all composed or, in the case of the final track, co-composed by her personally) are the product of true pop & rock music appreciation. She understands what makes a melody work because shes used her ears to figure it out, like a language shes learned fluently over the course of her entire life. She may be the best pop composer around right now, because she listens to, and loves, everything. She fuses so many musical genres that the result is something entirely new, yet just familiar enough to be delightful. Her unique combination of classic rock, big band jazz, indie rock, pop, funk, blues, showtunes, R&B, latin pop, and a sprinkling of EDM make this record colorful. Her genius isnt in the genres themselves, however, but in the execution of their implementation. For example, she bravely uses auto-tune on one track, carefully and deliberately. This is a woman who loves music when its done correctly regardless of how one might pigeonhole it, and she always strives to live up to her own standards. The sophistication on this particular album, though, is unmatched elsewhere in her discography. On top of the musicianship on this record, her perfectionism in its presentation has returned in full force. She incorporates her usual symmetrical tracklist, for instance. Songs that have been heard either as singles or live performances in the past are included in order to make the album a more obviously worthwhile purchase for fans and casuals alike (a normal practice in Japanese pop), but their presence feels completely natural. The album never feels padded out. Helping that, in part, is the albums nonstop mix. The tracks flow seamlessly into one another (the same approach taken with Kalk Samen Chestnut Flower), and it runs for precisely 50 minutes (similarly to her last album, 2009s Superficial Gossip). These details make apparent the amount of time and care put into making Sunny an album as opposed to a collection of songs, a rare feat in an era of single-song downloads. On multiple levels, this album is progressive in its conservatism. But is it listenable? Artistic genius is all well and good, but I do understand that most people only listen to an album once (if that) before making a decision regarding whether or not its worth their time. Im ecstatic to report that I loved this album on the first listen. When I really fall in love with an album, its usually on the second listen, and its the particulars of it that capture me - mixing, particular bass lines, time & key changes, the approaches to percussion, non-traditional sounds. Those albums show care & attention to detail, but less awareness of the big picture. But Shiina Ringo, as always, has produced something thats as beautiful on the surface as it is when you really dive into it. And thats the norm for her. Shes nearly ALWAYS this good. As you guys all know already, Ayumi Hamasaki is my favorite pop singer, yes, but Shiina Ringo has been my favorite musical artist for years now. And this album is something that makes me very, very proud to say that. Tracklist (official translated titles from kronekodow): 01. Quiet Counterattack 02. Collateral Damage 03. To the sea of trees 04. Cruzar a linha do equador 05. Flight JL005 06. Manipulate the time 07. Présent 08. Les couleurs chantent 09. Une femme ordinaire 10. L oeillet 11. La Solitude de laube 12. NIPPON 13. The Invaluable Purchase links: CD Japan: cdjapan.co.jp/product/TYCT-60053 YesAsia (North America): yesasia/us/hiizurutokoro-normal-edition-japan-version/1036747037-0-0-0-en/info.html Shiina Ringo - SUNNY Digest Movie (audio starts suddenly, adjust volume accordingly :)
Posted on: Fri, 21 Nov 2014 23:27:23 +0000