Featured Song: Kono yo no Kagiri

I like Shiina Ringo.

..and there's a good chance you might, too. For a Japanese artist, she has her fair share of western fans, I think. It helps that she's been around for a while (personally, I first fell in love with her from her Mayonaka wa Junketsu single, so I guess since... ....well, a couple years ago). However, if you're perhaps newer to Japanese music, or have just never heard of Shiina Ringo yet (where the hell have you been? ..No, no I kid.), then I'd be honored to introduce you to one of my favorite artists.

The title song of this single (Shiina's first in a long, long time) is actually a duet sung with her brother Junpei, who I'm not as familiar with (or interested in, really) but I'm glad they did it. They both sound great, dispite the fact that their voices don't quite mesh (their singing styles are a little different). Or maybe that's one of the song's charms..? I dunno, take it as you will.
The song itself is also great. Sung mostly in english, matched with a wonderful showtunes-esque score by composer Saito Neko, and coupled with a slightly underwhelming PV that I thought didn't really match the song's granduer (but did help me remember how much the song reminds me of Bjork's "It's Oh So Quiet").

Keeping in the trend of the title song, the CD's c/w song, Sakuran is entirely in english and also very good. ...But rather makes me miss hearing Shiina sing in Japanese. Granted, her english is of course very good, so who am I to argue? Oh, and for the third song on the single there aren't any lyrics at all.

Shiina's next album, Heisei Fuuzoku, will be released on February 21. And it will be her first real album as a solo artist since 2003. Welcome back. (´ー｀)ノ

Labels: Music

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