I recently read Julian Cope’s Japrocksampler, in which he criticizes the band Happy End for turning the tide of Japanese rock music away from hard rock and towards mild folky pop. Well, Julian Cope would not like Acari. Fortunately, he was wrong about Happy End (they are amazing) and Acari make great breezy pop music.
Acari come from much the same place as Advantage Lucy and Sondre Lerche – starting with classic 60’s pop sound, and doing little to change things up. They’re not a wildly original band, but they’ve got a knack for instantly familiar melodies. Kataomoi no Lesson is a slow burner of an album that gets better every time I listen to it. Most of the songs have a similar mood, and the record does come across as homogeneous at first, but the subtlety of the songwriting becomes apparent with repeat listens.
Instrumentation is simple and serves as a vessel for Kouji Miura’s velvet vocals. He has the kind of voice that sounds completely effortless and sweet, probably melts hearts at every live show, and provides an excellent soundtrack for a relaxing summer day. On ‘Hallelujah’ his voice really comes to the forefront as he sings a melancholy but hopeful melody during the verses, to change to a more celebratory tune during the chorus. The bridge of the song changes things up, with Miura gently scatting over a bossa nova beat.
‘Kaleidoscope Rain’ really brings to mind Kings of Convenience. It’s especially gentle with some light jazz guitar overtones. The chorus has one of the best melodies of the album. When they’re at their best Acari sound completely classic.
The song arrangements are very sparse, and though the recording is smooth, it doesn’t come across as glossy or over-produced. In fact, Mark Saito’s drums are incredibly natural sounding and the engineer really nailed the vibe of a live mix at a club. Katamoi no Lesson sounds very much like Acari’s live performances, Mark Saito (drums) and Yusuke Saito (bass) anchor the songs with a solid, subtle rhythmic foundation that gives Kouji Miura’s guitar and vocal melodies plenty of space to work with.
A note to aspiring musicians: If your goal is to make sunny, breezy pop music, this is how you do it. Kataomoi no Lesson is an instantly likable album, and beyond that instant appeal, it has the depth to attract long-term fans. If you like classic pop music like Burt Bacharach, then Acari will be right up your alley.
Audio:
Hallelujah:
Kaleidoscope Rain:
Buy Kataomoi no Lesson at: HearJapan
