椎名林檎 - NIPPON

[Zeus 7997]

Artist: 椎名林檎 (Shiina Ringo) Album: NIPPON Score: The One True QueenTM is back!

I don't joke around when I proclaim Shiina Ringo as The One True Queen. She belongs in the upper echelon of artists that can tackle any genre effortlessly. Her worst output is merely good. Her best output is legendary and amongst the best albums ever recorded in J-Pop. So imagine my disappointment with 逆輸入 ~港湾局~, where I felt that she couldn't pull together the many styles she was flirting with. Being a compilation album of music that she didn't even write for herself, I let it slide. After all, when Shiina writes music for herself she knocks it out of the park. NIPPON is no different.

NIPPON is a two track single where the single was Japan's theme at the World Cup. With such a simple title that translates into Japan, it would be reasonable to expect Shiina to deliver a simple pop rock tune. Fortunately for the world of music, Shiina doesn't do simple. There's the trappings of an upbeat pop rock track accompanied by an orchestra and some type of instrument I can't identify. You can't miss it though because it's there during the more energetic transitions, especially into the chorus. There's also a pretty nice solo, which is something I haven't heard Shiina do in a while. NIPPON gives me vibes of younger Shiina and the rock sound that she bursted onto the scene with all those many years ago.

Sakasa ni Kazoete rounds out the single, waltzing in with a jazzy pop sound balancing Shiina's rock side with her more mature one. Sakasa ni Kazoete sounds like it could have come straight out of Tokyo Jihen's discography, which makes it even better than NIPPON for me. Amazing keyboard work and an amazing vocal delivery by Shiina herself puts the cherry on top. It's very refreshing to hear Shiina take on this sound outside of TJ because she doesn't do this nearly enough.

I can't recommend this single enough. This is a nice, short introduction into just two of the many faces of this talented artist. Don't sleep on it!