New Naola: “Hikari”

I’ve stared out of a lot of windows recently, a result of summer in Tokyo being truly finished and a seemingly relentless stretch of rain settling in. Everything’s changing, and all you can do sometimes is stare out at the city and watch time move slowly forward, and see how it all shakes out. Naola’s “Hikari” is a good song to daze off into the distance to — she’s done a good job of making slow-moving songs to get lost in before, but “Hikari” is the best she’s done yet. It’s a reverse may.e — whereas the later uses her voice to create an entire, powerful orchestra of sounds, Naola emphasizes the quiet of her singing to create something wispy, longing. It’s great for staring off…and seeing what’s next. Listen above.