One more before I head out:
15. The Nanbatatin- Girls.Reteru.Talk
Probably the cutest album that will make this list, the
Nanbatatin's album is quite possibly the most infectious piece of kawaii death crush music you're going to come across all year. Spearheaded by
Shiho Nanba (hence the name) and members of
Tarte Tatin, the delightful combination of this albums sugary sweet vocals and cute indie pop definitely encourages return trips.
It's lead single's infectious melody gets stuck in your head long after you've finished listening to it, and
Seiko Oomori's touch (she is lyricist of the single) is felt all across the board. The girls provide wonderfully sweet harmonies and a real playfulness which at first may come across as shallow to the unseasoned jpop listener- but given time the whole 'point' will reveal itself.
Musically, the entire album is tight as it gets. It really goes on traditional band (real guitars, drums, bass etc) sound than any kind of modern gimmicks- which is quite refreshing on such a release. A lot of the music reminds of bands such as
Lai Lai Lai Team (who actually went on to writing a
Tarte Tatin single) or even
The Shins. The cute girl element of course is what stands out the most- and I'm fine with it. I actually find it adorable, and with a sweet little running time of under 30 minutes, there's no shame in indulging in this low fat treat.
(Oh by the way, did I mention the word sweet enough?)
The sweetest album of the year.
Sweet!