Izumi Makura has come out of her room and into the daylight. The whisper-rapper started out barely rising above a breath and often sounded agoraphobic, OK to offer glimpses into her journal-rich world but without stepping too far out. Yet thanks to more opportunities — turns out, when people like your music, they want more of you! — she’s edged towards something a little poppier, all while still maintaining the ennui lurking in her words. “Inochi” is her brightest offering yet, finding her and guest Lovely Summer Chan rapping and singing over a skippy beat with a sampled bit of singing going “you did me wrong” breaking in every once in a while. It’s a pretty direct representation for what I described up there — the poppiness, the ennui — and it builds up to a chorus that delivers a subtle catchiness. Listen above.
