Yuki Saito - Fuumu

 

Obi strips are really something else, right? It's an art in itself. I don't know why it didn't become norm on the rest of the world, I mean, much more interesting than the lousy hype sticker you see from time to time.  If you're not familiar with, it's used to promote the record it's attached on. In this particular case, Yuki Saito's 4th album, "Fuumu", it states that it's "Like the wind touching your cheeks, like a dream ..." Well... I couldn't say it better myself. Again, if you're not familiar with, Yuki Saito is a huge singer/songwriter/actress/writer/etc. Or better saying, an idol. Always super successful, she debuted with a single that sold hundreds, which was also for a TV commercial, had the lead role in the cult classic series "Sukeban Deka", which theme was also a song of hers. From then on, was part of many more other series, movies, had many more hit singles and TVCMs. Anyway, you get the picture.

"Fuumu" is, I feel, her most mature album, so far in her carrer up to this point. As the obi states, indeed, it has a very atmospheric, dream like sound. The production, though undoubtedly very 80's, is super well balanced, reverb-y, true to the idyllic mood, and aesthetic, it tries to transmit. Though, it's still an idol pop album, so you'll find a rather diverse songlist, with ballads and upbeat numbers sharing equal space. In most cases it makes for a product that lack direction, or personality, theme or whatever you wanna call it, which I think her first album, "Axia", exemplifies. While featuring amazing numbers, like the aforementioned "Sukeban Deka" theme, as a whole, it just doesn't work all that well (though I still recommend it; when all is said, the high points makes it up for the lows, but I digress...). But "Fuumu" makes this diversity its strength, or better saying, this diverse cast of songs works well togheter because it's all well rounded-up, by the production, by the strong songwriting, making it sound cohesive.

Highlights are many. Right off the bat, "ONE", sung in english, is a lightweight Ambient Pop matching perfectly the cover art aesthetic. Slow moving drum machine, fretless bass, and all sorts of atmospheric synth pads, all very sparse. "ひまわり" and "記憶" (this later one, a bonus track actually) follow in a similar vein. Surprisingly we're also graced with straight up Folk numbers; "12月のカレンダー" (with some early Joni Mitchell vibes) and "家族の食卓" are pure acoustic bliss. But the surprises don't stop here. The most interesting experiments are, undoubtedly, "体育館は踊る", where Yuki is accompanied only by (what sounds like) a string quartet, and "風･夢･天使", which is just her and a church organ (DEFINITELY not something I would expect to hear in a J-Pop album), simply a beautiful song.

But you can't go as far as to call this record avant-garde. It experiments, yes, but it's more like a change of background, you know? They may change the instrumentation, but these are still very solid, catchy, Pop songs. And as I already mentioned, this will to chnage things up, to diversify, is one of this record strong points. There are many more songs to highlight, such as "砂の城" and "Side Seat", which are your typical 80's Kayo, danceable and melancholic at the same time. Just... *chef's kiss* Also worth mentionig is, Mari Iijima, another great singer (who I'll post about later), has composition credits in a couple songs, and Yuki herself has written some of the lyrics. I guess you could say "眠り姫" is some sort of collab between them, with its sorrowful summer-y vibes. Anyway, stop daydreaming and get this already!