Music Article

From Japan

Aki Sobani Iruyo

''Girl-pop'' often dominates the Japanese charts, whether as dance music (Ayumi Hamasaki), J-R&B (Hikaru Utada), or cuteness for its own sake (Morning Mu-sume). Aiko is none of the above. With her fourth CD, Aki Sobani Iruyo (''Autumn Is Here!''), the 27-year-old singer-songwriter broadens her lean, rock-based sound with strings, Beatlesque horns, and, on ''Kurozetto'' (''Closet''), even a touch of circus music. Aiko's emphasis on lyrics may leave non-Japanese speakers feeling like they're missing something (they are), and her pitch sometimes seems unsure to Western ears. But her vividly emotional performances enchant nonetheless.

Originally posted Dec 13, 2002 Published in issue #686 Dec 13, 2002 Order article reprints

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