The right amount of cute can be tricky to pull off in music. The “kawaii bass” wave of the last few years has mostly receded, but twinkly dance-pop numbers still appear frequently, and they can just be too much, relying on high-pitched singing and an abundance of playroom-ready sounds instead of a good idea. Wotoha has fallen for this before with the recent “Jelly Girl,” a number that just gets too busy without making that cloistering environment pay off. “Cobalt Dreams” offers something much more efficient. Wotoha uses space to build up to the moment where the 8-bit notes rush in and the bells really chime off. It’s never too much, and “Cobalt Dreams” features quick detours into EDM-friendly bass swirls to avoid burn out. Listen above.
