ISHIKAWA SERI – Paradise
(1) Most perfect 20 seconds ever. MV 4/5 HNT 12/13 K 9/10. The vox are mellifluous and melancholy, even if the music is of the ‘vaguely Carribean’ variety. Wonderful. (2) Just as good, more synth-pop, like ELO on downers. Seri has the most amazing voice. Just, wow. HNT 12/13 MV 3/5 K 7/10. We’re definately in the territory of New Wave City Pop now. Explicit references to: daylight, telephone, sunglasses, moonlight, taxi; Time After Time. All those good City Pop things. (3) Odd-timing — soft reggae which might be a too-easy rip-off except it’s got Seri on it MV 4/5 HNT 11/13 K 9/10 (4) A bit more straight-ahead but it’s got reverb vocals and shiny-glass guitar which only add to the wistfullness. HNT 11/13 MV 3/5 K 9/10. This is ‘world seen through a misty window pane’ and what’s great about this album is that it progresses so much within the space of one single track. (5) Downer vocals, but ‘Construction Time’ sampled pebbles and the note-perfect chimey keyboards. MV 5/5 K 7/10 HNT 12/13. I’m still amazed by Seri’s voice here. (6) Tasogare! the spectre of ‘every breath you take’ hangs over this one, and Seri’s vox have gone down a register (!) New wave guitar and chorus….MV 3/5 K 7/10. Gorgeous cadence for the end. (7) Faster, and in the zone of ‘the whimsical one’ MV 0/5 HNT 7/13 K 7/13. Something different and welcome, I guess. (8) The one with the PiL / Bauhaus intro — then becomes the European One. She slips into a Manchester accent on the word ‘invitation’. But also big chunks of OLD Japanese folk. And surf guitar. ROUND UP: Just Wow. One of my favourite records of this project so far.