[zeroryouko]

Oh, to be clear, I'm absolutely not saying Hamada is the next Ringo - she's definitely more of a niche performer. That said, I think that there's a lot that fans of Ringo might appreciate. To me there seem to be some definite parallels and/or even some of Ringo's influence being felt.

Kusari sounds to me like something from the mid-Jihen era; Mayakashi no Blues would have been right at home on Sanmon Gossip. At risk of starting some controversy, I would argue that Shihatsu Mae no Dance Hall (currently my favorite track) is Hamada's answer to Marunouchi Sadistic.

Vocally - I'm not sure how exactly to describe it, but Hamada's voice bears some striking similarities to Ringo's voice (and some *really* striking similarities to Gin Wigmore). Hamada does not have the range or technique that Ringo has (which is not at all to say I dislike her voice), but somehow her voice just sort of scratches that same itch...I'll have to think more about it.

I will also admit to having discovered Hamada only relatively recently, so in retrospect I realize that this thread probably comes off as very noob-ish particularly to those who have been following her for a while. Sorry about that. Playing that album was just kind of a "Eureka!" moment...