New Mom: “Himitsu No Futari”

Let’s call this one a softer side of Mom. The artist’s best work, for me at least, has always been about energy, often giddily jamming genre together or simply finding his own perspective on hip-hop and running with it. “Himitsu No Futari” keeps things mellow. It’s the closest he’s come to approaching that neo-city-pop sound, here backed by whistling and light guitar playing. It’s pretty sedate, and feels more like an interlude than something to really dwell on, though entire bands have made careers out of a similarly snoozy sound so here’s hoping this is just a detour. But even then, credit to Mom’s singing, which brings an unpredictable energy to a predictable backdrop. Even when a song misses the mark, Mom at least reminds you why he stands out. Listen above.