Been about five days since I last logged in here, and it has been busy to say the least. I went to Seattle to give a presentation, watched many smart music writers also give papers and worked in karaoke somehow. Then I visited family in Los Angeles during a day-long layover…and we managed to be hit-and-run while driving on the freeway. I and everyone else was fine, but our car was pretty much totaled and it was not a fun night. So I’m looking for something comforting for a post tonight, and Nagoya’s (wonderfully named) Cookie Romance Nonsugar’s “Yoake Mae” works wonders and making me feel a little more relaxed. The quartet’s song sounds a little too feedback-drenched to be put into the same indie-pop category as other Japanese bands, but the vocals add a sweetness to the sometimes harsh music, and especially push the chorus towards something memorable. It has an energy to it, but listening to it, I’m mostly struck by the comfort it delivers via singing. Listen above.
