[Superficial Fan]

The beginning of "Kodoku no Akatsuki" reminds me of Boz Scaggs's "We're All Alone"!* Now I'm not saying the song sounds anything like that overall, but I keep thinking of that song in the opening part (and when it repeats). Overall, it seems like a pretty Jihenish song and I'm still on the fence about it. One thing that strikes me and bothers me a bit in most of her newer material is that it doesn't have the organic feel of much of her earlier work (up to Adult--maybe even including Sanmon Gossip though I'd have to think about that since I'm not a big fan of it and almost never listen to it). It seems more openly a matter of muso pastiche: now we're going to do that, now we're going to do this, and here's a slightly fancy key change, or something like that. A case can certainly be made for an aesthetic that actually shows you where things are joined together and maybe even makes that stand out, but I can't help preferring the more organic sound and feel that I think existed in her earlier work. It was more a matter of "wow, it feels so natural, maybe inevitable, the way the song has moved through these changes, even though they weren't obvious."

Irohanihoheto continues to grow on me, and I think the PV has helped. It still feels a bit too much like I am admiring her skillfulness but not really being all that moved by it. As I've said elsewhere, I also kind of get the sense that she can knock off a song like this fairly easily, which, if true, is a tribute to her professionalism. But. . . But something. I don't know, I'm making it sound like I don't like the song, when I do. But it still feels like something is missing.

*Maybe she's been hanging out with Junpei, listening to 70s albums.

(LOL, I very briefly dated a non-Japanese American who had had a brief career singing her own songs in English, in Japan, singing her own songs in English, and also hosting a radio show featuring soul music (as well as doing some other things in the media). I also remember her mentioning that that there was some new popular Japanese singer she thought I might like--this was in around 2000--but I don't think she ever said the name. I think the train of thought was interrupted. It wouldn't surprise me if it was Ringo. I wonder if she ever had Junpei on her show. I think she said she used to co-host it with Barry White (sometimes?). It's been a while, so sorry if this sounds like I'm making it up as I go along, but it's kind of hazy at this point.)