The year is still early —- at least that’s what I’ve been telling myself — but nearly three months have passed, which feels like a significant checkpoint. So far, my favorite album of the year from Japan comes courtesy of Saitama’s Mom, whose Baby Like A Paperdriver offers a dizzying and fun set of genre-skipping numbers, bridging a lot of disparate corners of the Japanese underground in the process. Yet they aren’t slowing down. Mom shared “That Girl” at the end of this weekend, and it shows a more direct side to their sound. It’s a pretty straightforward rap song, featuring a breezy piano arrangement as a base and a skittery beat propelling everything forward. No twists or turns, just a consistent backdrop for Mom to rap over. Listen above.
