Ichiko Aoba - Windswept Adan
Taking a short break from the jazz series to review the new Ichiko Aoba album which came out this month. It's a singer songwriter / folk album which I've been excited for since I've enjoyed a couple of her previous albums, namely 0 and qp. But unlike her previous endeavors, which were mostly her and an acoustic guitar, this is more lush. Does the new direction hold up well?
Windswept Adan
The short answer is yes, it holds up marvelously. This album is simply breathtakingly beautiful and serene. But of course, both you, the reader, and I, the writer, want more detail than that.
The album opens on the glorious, ambient-ish, almost Grouper like "Prologue." It sets the mood well with it's calming ocean sounds, and rich synth/organ chords (I can't tell what the instrument is exactly). The next two tracks are beautiful chamber folk endeavors. This is Ichiko at her strongest. Her first venture away from the sparse acoustic plucking we've been accustomed to is a fantastic one for sure.
Surprisingly, Ichiko didn't write most of the songs herself on this album, which worried some people before the album's release. But I can safely assure you that the songwriting remains excellent throughout, and the tracks are peaceful and calming, with a mystery about them that is almost haunting. The intrigue created by these two seemingly conflicting forces is simply captivating.
Speaking of captivating, the production is breathtaking. The lush production here really is excellently done. The strings, flute, and xylophone(?) on "Porcelain" lend it this almost magical quality, while the upright bass keeps things driven nicely. Ichiko's guitar playing is lovely as always.
Worth noting is the album has these short ambient interludes between the more fleshed out chamber folk tunes. While I do wish these were more fleshed out in the vein of "Prologue," they still work wonderfully as a breather before you plunge back into the next frozen aquatic world Ichiko has prepared for you
What about the vocals? If you've never listened to an Ichiko Aoba album you might not be aware of this, but she has one of the most hypnotically beautiful voices I've ever heard. Her voice is so pleasant to listen to, and fits her music perfectly, both her older sparser stuff, and this newer lush direction.
Really the only complaint I can offer for this album is that I wish the ambient interludes were more fully realized like "Prologue" is. And that's hyper-nitpicking. Everything else, well, let's just say I legitimately can't think of any other issues I take with this album. It's one of the best releases 2020 has to offer, and if you haven't listened to it yet, you're doing yourself a disservice. Check it out right now. 10/10.