From what information I can gather about both this album and Ohzora Kimishima, this is technically their debut album - of course, this is not Kimishima's first released work. Ohzora Kimishima had previously given his name to three EPs of psychedelia-infused folktronica, and from what I can tell they've been pretty well regarded. Eitai Suru Kemuri is more than just your stock-standard indie pop record, as Kimishima plays with quite a few ideas and sounds throughout the album. The yield at the end of it all is some strong cuts, a playful singer, and a consistent vibe and feel throughout the project. Kimishima's debut album is a solid project that showcases a lot of potential for them in the future.
A lot of the ideas on Eitai Suru Kemuri help keep the flow of ideas and sounds balanced throughout the listening experience, and it helps that Ohzora Kimishima is a pretty capable artist who is more than happy to bounce around a bit. While the overall sound of indie pop is a good way to baseline the album's sounds, ideas of folktronica, soft rock, pop, and other more punchy moments that have shades of indie rock to the sound. Not only does Kimishima's skill as a singer and playful demeanor show in these songs, but it allows the momentum of the album to rise and crescendo before settling again, and it makes for a pretty good flow across - when you're going from the smooth and slick "19℃" straight into the punching "都合," it may feel messy, but it adds to the album's feel. The fact that so many of the songs are as long as they are (most are over the 4-minute mark) and you hardly realize is the hallmark of the album's ideas working as well and as consistently as they do.
The other impressive aspect is mainly that Ohzora Kimishima proves themselves to be an interesting musician and composer on this album. The album opening with the distorted craze of "映帶する煙" is such an immediate and interesting hook into the feel and atmosphere of this album, and the immediate whiplash of the gentle guitar and soft falsetto on "扉の夏" gives you an immediate taste of what to expect on this album. Some moments are brilliantly layered and complex like the seven-minute, highly intricate "装置" or the noisy and chaotic closing track "No Heavenly," which is awash with sometimes dissonant noise and hectic guitar feedback. These more heavy moments are contrasted by his ear for melody and gentler moments, such as the previously mentioned "19℃," the gentle ambience of "世界はここで回るよ," or the glorious sheen of "エルド" in the album's second half. All of these moments, and more, showcase Kimishima's talent as a songwriter and singer with his clean, androgynous vocals.
My only gripe is a personal one - I wish I knew Japanese so I could get under the album's hood and decipher the lyrics at the heart of this album. Ohzora Kimishima is certainly a capable artist, and his debut album is a fascinating and creative indie record that doesn't tether itself to any specific genre throughout the runtime, which results in a wild contrast that still feels cohesive. Kimishima is also a capable musician and songwriter with an ear for melody and interesting ideas. The end result is a very good album, and is a decently strong release to come out of the new year.
RATING: ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯
Listen to Eitai Suru Kemuri.
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