[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT2GGvFHuog&hl=en_US&fs=1&]
YUKI caught me off guard once before – with her disco-pop-romp “ランデヴー.” It’s one of those tunes that should bomb really badly but manages to be great by making something irresistible out of potentially off-putting parts. After falling for the charms of her tune “うれしくって抱き合うよ” I’m ready to label this risk-to-riches ability her calling card.
None of the following words rarely count as positive descriptions: easy-listening, smooth, string-ful, long. “うれしくって抱き合うよ” manages to be all of these things and yet still wind up a highly enjoyable listen. A big chunk of the reason why would be YUKI’s opening and ending, which basically amounts to her cooing some nonsense as the Club Med approved instrumentation ebbs along with it. The bookends of the songare the catchiest and most enjoyable parts, especially the lead-in which grabs your attention via hammock-speed vibes. Still, there are about six minutes to fill between, so it’s up to YUKI to carry this thing. Backed by very low-key breezy guitar and a few string intervals, her voice lifts the middle portion of the track up with it’s relaxed tone. She doesn’t sound nearly as unpredictable as on “ランデヴー” but this track’s music calls for a much more chilled out performance. A whole lot could have gone wrong here, but YUKI pulled another catchy number out. One perfect four lounging around to, at that.