Disconnect The Dots: OBUTSUDAN-SUMINO’s “Kaerou”

Here’s pop reduced to some very, very basic elements. Osaka’s OBUTSUDAN-SUMINO constructs something that’s both aching and catchy using a lot of space – the bulk of “Kaerou” is just him singing over a barely-there beat and some chilly synth splashes. At times the song whirrs and whoozes, but the bulk here is about space. A lot of the appeal here lies in OBUTSUDAN-SUMINO’s singing, never in a rush and focused on squeezing out every bit of emotional sweat from every syllable. The whole song picks up in tempo late, turning into an upbeat little ditty, but the vocals still give this portion a sadder edge. Listen below.