Rimi Natsukawa 夏川りみ – Self Selection – My Comfort Album

There is comfort food.  And there is comfort music too, I reckon.  You know how it is like when every time you listen to a particular song or album and that triggers a particular memory of yours?  Maybe “Last Christmas” was played when you gave your first kiss away, maybe “I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing” is your theme song with that special someone, or maybe you were listening to “Woman In Chains” when you first discover what romance is.

So I was on a plane to Chennai, India – which by the way, if you haven’t got the chance to check out the complete 2-set photo albums, I invite you to take a look (montage below).  For lack of entertainment choices on the SIA flights, I put Rimi Natsukawa’s new album on repeat – on my way to Chennai, and back.  I did sample “Self Selection” (あいのうた ～セルフセレクション・ベスト～) in several occasions at HMV Orchard but somehow, the album didn’t talk to me.  My first (and second and third) impression was that the sound is kind of old fashioned, kind of different from the rest of the J-pop I am so used to.  Needless to say, after the trip, I bought her album.

In fact, the kind of music is called Ryukyuan and Rimi Natsukawa is a folk singer.  Is it an universal truth that folk genre produces better singers than pop and rock?  And when did the Japanese start to have songs in English titles and lyrics with English words?  Either way, Rimi Natsukawa is a great singer and all the songs she selected is 100% Japanese.  Inside the album jacket, she wrote a small passage for each song explaining why she chose it, when she played it, and what the song means to her (note: I read the Chinese translation).

Is “Self Reflection” for you?  Hard to say.  Are you open for traditional Japanese music?  Maybe you wish to check out this old video of hers and see for yourself.  涙そうそう (“Sparkling Tears”) is my favorite track of the album.  Sure it doesn’t have the dynamic of a typical pop song.  It does however invoke emotion, a peaceful type of emotion.  And to me, it works.  This album works.