A Little Jazz: Matsuki Bitei’s “Shukan”

It can feel really nice to have one’s mental narratives knocked off balance every once in a while. The latest release from Local Visions offers no chances to talk about nostalgia as interpreted through social media, or to ponder on how the past can be molded into something more than simple “I remember that” thrills. Even the album art pivots away from Tumblr-ready illustrations to some pencil-and-paper sketching. Matsuki Bitei’s Shukan is just three songs of delightful jazz-inspired pop songs, veering from the skippy pace of the opener to the more reigned-in (yet boasting layers just underneath, check out the drums) tempo of “Jitsui No Koushin.” The lyrics can be a bit more introspective and add further depth here, but the actual music isn’t playing around with weight ideas, just delivering a good time. If other Local Visions get my brain pumping about theories related to city pop, this one reminds that, right, the sounds that inspired that can just be fun. Get it here, or listen below.