Albums etc. of 2023
Jan. 2nd, 2024 09:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
We’re back and only two days late! I blame that one year Accusefive released an album on NYE for my inclination for procrastination :p
Those of you who have had me on your reading list for a while have seen the evolution of this year-end roundup go from “vibes with numbers” to “attempt at real music blogging” and now to “vibes with no numbers”. In that vein it’s been freeing to start using “DNF” on albums. In the old days when there was no streaming and I ~obtained~ albums in the whole, I went by the motto of Don’t Like, Don’t Listen, Delete Now. But with the inclusion of Japanese music onto streaming I would either listen to one song via my discovery methods, or attempt to ~experience the full album~ by slogging through it, which was no fun. So “DNF” is back! Sorry not sorry to Ayumi Hamasaki.
Indie idol groups continue to draw my attention, as more and more of them dive into (and stay in) genres I love. Also two Taiwanese bands made the cut — although I missed getting tickets to both their local shows! (That’s 0/2 for me on supporting Taiwanese bands in the 2023–4 touring season.)
To the LPs and EPs of the year!
On repeat.
草東沒有派對 / 瓦合
No Party for Cao Dong / The Clod
NPCD can turn between sub-genres and tempos within the same song, sometimes within the same verse. I was drawn in by the metal and post-punk influences, but even other sounds I am less fond of shine in their hands.
odol / DISTANCES
Delicate brass and strings weaves their magic on this album, creating a mossy marsh to sink into. I adore the dance-like yet uneasy rhythms of “reverie” and “幽霊” (blindside).
坂本真綾 / 記憶の図書館
Maaya Sakamoto / Kioku no Toshokan
On this album, Maaya returns to form: slightly experimental anime-adjacent pop, with callbacks to early 00s J-pop.
I had this album in my “it’s good but not great” bucket originally, but kept coming back and back to it. Even though the album is firmly in the territory of what Maaya does best, there’s emotion and exploration plenty to make this stand out from her decades of work.
Also good.
RAY / Camellia
The anime-influenced electropop is good, but the post-punk rock is amazing. The production is full of details, especially in songs like “KAMONE” and the standout “火曜日の雨” (Kayoubi no Ame).
neochi / 待ち合わせの図書館にて
neochi / At the Library Where We Were Meeting (mini)
Daijiro Nakagawa, neochi’s songwriter who is better known as part of Jyocho, has started playing more with neochi’s output. On Machiawase he brings in accents of electronic experimentation to accent the gorgeous intricate guitar and layered vocals.
大象體操 / 世界
Elephant Gym / WORLD
Elephant Gym rarely tries to be pop; they are unapologetically math rock and jazz. However, there’s a few songs on WORLD that demonstrate their capability for crafting a pop ballad in the Taiwanese tradition, like “燈” (Light) and my favourite “夜洋風景” (Ocean in the Night). And then there’s “羽毛” (Feather), which I hope is a prelude to a new Shibuya-kei revival.
リーガルリリー / where?
Regal Lily / where? (mini)
It’s great to see Regal Lily continue to grow. where? goes from upbeat to bittersweet indie rock, with the requisite singalong catharsis moments.
yahyel / Loves&Cults
yahyel is still fully immersed in dark electropop, but they splash into alternately exploring the realms of dance and ambient r&b. Never too much, though.
みぃなとルーチ / Waiting for the moon to rise
miina to luci / Waiting for the moon to rise
Shoegaze, folk pop, and the occasional ambient electropop from the vocalist of Sayonara Ponytail.
Patrick Wolf / The Night Safari (EP)
Patrick Wolf has certainly not lost his touch for haunting elegies in his years away from music. The Night Safari (the EP, not the single of the same name) begins with alt electropop before descending into art folk pop in the 7-minute “Dodona”.
Wolf, in his comeback press tour, has expressed unhappiness over how his art was shaped into palatable, marketable pop — Lupercalia the cursed chalice. The anger and lamentation present in his earlier work exists in The Night Safari, but the emotions have become more dark and jagged.
Now for something happier.
kinoue64 / あなただけに聴いてほしい
kinoue64 / I want only you to listen to it (mini)
Relaxing dream pop shoegaze. Takuto Kinoshita takes the pedal off the Vocaloid vocals and focuses on creating a fuzzy guitar soundscape.
Homecomings / New Neighbors
Homecomings’ strength is writing songs that get better with each listen, and the lush emotions of “Us” and “Shadow Boxer” are exemplars of this.
星宮とと+TEMPLIME / POP-AID
Hoshimiya Toto+TEMPLIME / POP-AID
A more downbeat yet danceable look into the quote-unquote hyperpop umbrella. Pop punk makes its appearance on tracks like “POP-AID” while the hyperpop shows through in “Melody Smash” and “Umino Nioi”. There’s still what you expect from the Hoshimiya Toto+TEMPLIME project in electropop tracks like “Suichu” and “Hiko”.
Bandcamp · Neat lyrics webpage
Olive Girl / Teatro
Neo city pop, Shibuya-kei, French dance — feel free to throw all these terms around, because they’re all here. Despite the variety of genres, Teatro is a coherent and well-executed package, and a great listen for anyone who likes Bubble-era pop.
パソコン音楽クラブ / FINE LINE
Pasocom Music Club / FINE LINE
I think this is the third album or song called “Fine Line” I’ve listened to in the past half-decade 🥲
I could talk about the long list of notable features on this album. But what stands out most about this album is that it’s fun! It’s full of weird production for the sake of weird production; it’s not meant to be deep. Put on “UFO-mie” and you can’t help but bop along.
And, as usual, some songs I liked this year:
⇒ Spotify
(Ugh Spotify was so broken when I was trying to rearrange this playlist. I might try Youtube Music next year since coverage is getting better there.)
no subject
Date: 2024-01-03 06:35 am (UTC)this was a great read, i always love reading your music posts
no subject
Date: 2024-01-03 07:13 am (UTC)Regal Lily has finally matured enough in their songwriting that there’s more depth and variety to their latest mini, so they’re definitely worth a revisit if you haven’t kept up with them for a few years.
RAY is def a new band to me as I’m more out of the indie idol loop than I’d like to be, but they’re so good!
Taiwanese indie rock is evolving towards a sound that my taste is also evolving towards, so a lot of bands like Elephant Gym or NPCD which I had no interest in 5 years ago are finally clicking for me. So I can finally get that concert fomo from all the shows I’ve missed D:
Thank you ♥