Japanese musical chameleon tries on her Julie London…
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[6.00]
Brad Shoup: Ringo’s previous foray into theme composition leaned heavily on the ’67 Beatle model, and this strikes me as a Disneyfied update of “Good Night“. It’s a delicate suggestion of a waltz that may seem like treacle until those Yankee Hotel Foxtrot piano chords send the woodwinds into the air. From there, strength is asserted.
[8]
Iain Mew: The slightest of songs drowning in a pretty but over-elaborate arrangement, this hangs together only thanks to Shiina’s voice. She consistently commands the attention with a restrained dignity as the harps and strings and slow motion guitars blossom all around.
[7]
Jonathan Bogart: The ornate studio orchestration of 40s and 50s Hollywood is quite something, but her voice is too thin and light to ever do anything with that bed, and it’s not until the rhythm comes in that she sounds like she’s got a backing track she can interact with. All of which simply means she was born after 1960.
[5]
Jer Fairall: Goopy, sentimental and precious, like a Japanese-language take on a Disney animated soundtrack ballad that I wouldn’t have liked it if that is what this actually was, either.
[3]
Zach Lyon: It’s my USian point of view (and my repeated listens to the Final Fantasy VIII soundtrack in middle school) that has me convinced “Carnation” wouldn’t be a novelty in Japan like Catbird’s “City of Blue” would be in America if anyone listened to it (good song!). I just always thought old-timey Hollywood lounge sound still came through in a lot of modern Japanese balladry, so the extravagance doesn’t hit me too hard. It’s all very pretty and emotional and doesn’t add up to much else.
[5]
Edward Okulicz: Currently taking applications for someone to slow-dance me down my street at midnight while this plays. Enquire within.
[8]