What better way to start off this blog with a post on one of my favorite albums of all time!! I first discovered this album early last summer (2018) and fell in love with it as soon as I saw the sick cover art. It's not a coincidence that I'm starting with this so close to my birthday (June 3) either - on my last birthday I had a ball and was listening to this album on repeat as I trekked my way through NYC at 5 AM. There's a long story there that I can talk about in the comments if anyone cares.
Onto the music. From what I've heard, LIGHT'N UP is Minako Yoshida's most funky/disco-influenced album. (This album's predecessor, MONSTERS IN TOWN, is of a similar vibe, but I personally don't think it reaches the sublime heights of this record.) From the title track to the end, Yoshida delivers track after track of melancholy, nighttime fun, all accentuated by her unique crooning style of singing. I'm not kidding when I say this album feels like the pinnacle of city pop in that it does more than imitate Western disco - it surpasses it, and never feels dated or cheesy.
Take a listen to the track embedded above, "REFLECTION". It's a mellow midtempo song that shows the perfect mix of instrumental groove and Yoshida's unique voice. The beat is infectious from the very first second, and when the tempo swings up and things get dramatic, I can't help but get excited listening. And then there's the ballads! I'll admit (not for the last time) that I'm not a huge fan of ballads in any genre, but something about Yoshida's voice keeps me hanging on with the ones here, and I think you'll find them even haunting at times. I've linked another one below, "風", a jazzy number that makes me want to close my eyes and dance to it with a wine glass in my hand. That kind of vibe, very smooth!
I've read that Yoshida recorded this album in Tokyo as well as New York. I believe it. LIGHT'N UP feels just like it looks; a shining, dreamy nighttime adventure, the kind of thing that always puts a smile on my face. I hope it does the same for you.
DREAM...
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