Shiina Ringo – Superficial Gossip

Among Japanese artists who’ve never toured the west, Shiina Ringo is one of the most talked about, and with good reason. When she debuted she was a groundbreaking example of how to be a strong woman in the Japanese entertainment business and she’s always straddled the line between mainstream pop stardom and indie experimentation. Her closest western counterpart may be Janelle Monae – who’s early into her career, but so far has a similar approach towards mixing genres and a similar level of artistic ambition.

Shiina Ringo’s last solo album of original material was 2003’s Karuki Zaamen Kuri no Hana, and while she’s been releasing some good albums with her band Tokyo Jihen, her new album Superficial Gossip has been highly anticipated and marks a return to form.

Those expecting a return to big guitars and noisy experimentation might be disappointed at first. Keyboards are far more prominent than guitars, and the album draws from jazz, pop, hip hop and R&B more than it does from rock music. Shiina Ringo has always blended genres though, and her real skill in writing great pop songs and giving them interesting arrangements – which she accomplishes here. There’s nothing like ‘Identity‘ or ‘Tsumiki Asobi‘ here, but most of the songs would be well at home among her earlier material.

I don’t love every song on Superficial Gossip, but at it’s best this is some of Shiina Ringo’s strongest material. After being disappointed with Tokyo Jihen’s last album, Variety, I wasn’t optimistic about this album, and I’m glad to be proven wrong. The sound is a blend of Shiina’s album Shouso Strip and Tokyo Jihen’s Adult. If you’re a fan of those two albums this one should appeal to you.

Particularly with Tokyo Jihen, Shiina Ringo has demonstrated an obsession with jazz music and it’s very pronounced on this album. The vibraphone and flute break in the middle of ‘Mittei Monogatari’ is great, and transitions back into the killer chorus before becoming too long. On the other hand, the too-smooth jazz of ‘Irokoizata’ lacks any punch, and the two big band numbers on this album, while fairly strong on their own, don’t fit in well with the rest of the album.

‘O Chiten Kara’ is one of the simplest songs on the album, but has a very interesting minimalist arrangement. It’s mostly a piano/drum machine song with the vocals loud and up-front. There are a lot of subtle drones and harmonies going on though, and the melody is strong and memorable. Initially I was disappointed with this one, but after repeat listens it has started to stand out as one of the best on the album.

‘Roudousha’ is pretty surprising to hear from Shiina Ringo. The rollicking piano accompanied by a Motown-style organ brings to mind the Jackson 5. This is simply a great celebratory pop song.

‘Togatta Teguchi’ is an electronic tune that incorporates a lot of the vocal distortion that was present on Karuki Zaamen Kuri no Hana and is one of the strongest tracks here.

‘Bonsai Hada’ is a solo accordion and vocal song and highlights Shiina’s dynamic vocals – She begins the song with a sensuous, breathy melody and slowly builds towards towards a dramatic, theatrical conclusion.

This album took me a few listens to grow into – on the surface it’s quite a bit different than the music that made me such a fan in the first place, but under the surface all the things that made Shiina Ringo’s earlier work great are present, and I’m glad that she’s not content to churn out the same thing she’s done before, but rather that she’s taking chances. Frankly, I didn’t have high hopes for this one, but it’s reminding me why I got so into Shiina Ringo in the first place and I can recommend it without hesitation.

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