Idol music isn’t a field geared towards innovation. The challenge in approaching it is accepting that groups — especially in the 2010s — tend to occupy a very specific musical (if not visual) niche, and expecting change from them is kind of a hopeless pursuit. One I still fall for, but I digress! This is all a way of saying Maison Book Girl hit a sonic sweet spot for me, and a large part of that is just personal preference for click-clacking percussion and violin swoops instead of another group leaning on chugging guitars. “Okaeri Sayonara” serves as a preview of the group’s next album, and leans on a familiar palette of sounds, albeit one that also seems a touch more spacious than other recent releases. Yet it’s a sound they keep finding new angles on, all while maintaining an emotional core that elevates the group up for me. Listen above.
