Ichiko Aoba - うたびこ

Folk (or singer-songwriter "genre" to be more precise) is kind of a strange beast when I think about it. I mean, nothing much has changed over the years really. When it comes down to it it's still the same principle as it was decades ago. Yet it still intrigues us and there's always something interesting and new to hear.

This particular folk album is from Japan where this genre seems to have quite a holding underneath the surface of so many female pop groups. The cover, while bordering on minimalist ridicule, is actually very representative of its overall sound. There's really not that much dressing around this one. It's just one acoustic guitar and just one lovely female voice. With this the album manages to convey a very solitary feel in all of its songs. Luckily the album does not wear out its welcome and the songs are varied enough to guarantee at least a second listen. The vocals themselves are in the mid-range (similar to Shione Yukawa) and are very calm and soothing to the ears. The music as well maintains a very chill atmosphere throughout although sometimes it tends to drift off into more murkier tones and melodies.

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