Mondo Grosso appears to be here to stay, rather than just be a one-off comeback responsible for a solid album and a song-of-the-year contender. “Itsuwari No Sympathy” — out on streaming services for at least a month now, but finally blessed with a video today — finds Shinichi Osawa continuing to explore the electronic wisps defining last year’s Reborn Again and Always Starting New, building the song up slowly before letting it break into a gallop. Yet, as was also the case in 2017, it’s the guest vocalist who really shines brightest and turns this into an early 2018 J-pop highlight. Aina The End of BiSH glides over the softer verses, delivering vocals that take the dreamier words of “Labyrinth” to a more intimate (and at times uncomfortable) place. But that all sets up the chorus, a delirious repetition of words that is basically a moment of release in a song that is mostly of controlled build. Good signs for Mondo Grosso’s newest album out…next week. Listen above.
