Painted Woman by Masaki Matsubara (1983)

Japan is filled with various talented guitar virtuosos. Most people immediately point to Masayoshi Takanaka when mentioning Japanese guitarists. However, another great guitarist in the Japanese pantheon is Masaki Matsubara, who's considered one of the most prolific sessions guitarists ever.

Born in 1954 in Takefu City, Fukui Prefecture (now Echizen City), Matsubara Started playing the trombone in a brass band when he entered junior high school. During his second year of junior high, he would discover his love of the guitar and become absorbed in band activities. After graduating from high school, he entered the Nemu Music Academy (located in Nemu no Sato, Mie Prefecture at the time), but moved to Tokyo half a year later on the advice of his teacher. After graduating college and working in a US military camp band, he became a prolific studio musician throughout the late 70s' & 80s', participating in over 10,000 recordings.

Masaki Matsubara's most popular project, at least in City Pop circles, would have to be his 4th album from November 1983, Painted Woman. The album features the vocal talents of AOR singer Eric Tagg and the Okinawan sister trio Eve. The session band includes the talents of Jake Conception (sax), Hiroshi Shinkawa (synths), percussionist Nobuo Saito, and bassist Mike Dunn. coincidentally the latter two would join Matsubara in the jazz fusion band Parachute.

THE MUSIC

1. Make It With Me⭐⭐⭐
   
2. Night Scanners ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
3. Shining Star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
4. Silly Crush ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5. Tequila Toast ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
6. S.O.S. (Society Of Soul) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
7. Painted Woman⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
8. Sunset Lullaby ⭐⭐⭐⭐
9. Pacific Coast Highway ⭐⭐⭐⭐
10. Sky High ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

VERDICT 

If I wanted to sum up Painted Woman with one word; classy. Everything about the album oozes sophistication and swagger, from the front album cover to the moment the needle drops and you hear that groovy guitar accompanied by a thumping beat in "Make it With Me". Masaki Matsubara's masterful smooth guitar chops shine all the way through every track. It's also a nice balance between instrumental tracks and vocal heavy ones. Sometimes the album decides it wants to be a Quincy Jones production, with songs like "Shining Star" sounding straight off  The Dude. Other times it feels like a Kenny Loggins album, thanks to the smooth vocals of Eric Tagg in songs like "Silly Crush" and "Painted Woman" and half the time it sounds like something Masayoshi Takanaka or T-Square would have put together. But no matter what, it pulls it off with nigh-perfection. If you want to experience the best of Japanese fusion, Masaki Matsubara's Painted Woman  is one of the best options there is.

Planetarium by Kaoru Sudo (1983)

 Kaoru Sudo (須藤薫), was born on May 1, 1954, and unfortunately passed away on March 3, 2013. While she was alive, Sudo made her debut in 1979 she debuted at CBS Sony with the single Yasashii Machi, written by Yumi Matsutoya. Her most frequent music collaborator throughout her career was singer-songwriter Masamichi Sugi, whom she met in 1980. Sudo's style of music could be described as summery resort pop with a pastiche of Rock & Roll and 1960s American Girl Pop. It's the kind of music that makes you feel like a teenybopper in the world of Happy Days or Grease, whose only worry is whether you'll keep the main squeeze by the end of summer vacation. The album that would bring Kaoru Sudo into a more contemporary sound would be 1983's Planetarium. 

TRACKLIST

1. I Love You ⭐⭐⭐⭐
2. Through The Windshield ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
3. Rain Amusement Park ⭐⭐⭐⭐
4. Squall City ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5. Someday In This City ⭐⭐⭐
6. Sad Love Monday ⭐⭐⭐
7. Park ⭐⭐⭐
8. Rendezvous Of Tears ⭐⭐⭐⭐
9. Amy's Graduation ⭐⭐⭐
10. Prisoner Of Love ⭐⭐⭐
11. Planetarium In The Heart⭐⭐⭐

VERDICT

Arranged by Masamichi Sugi, and produced by Masataka Matsutoya, Planetarium still pays tribute to 50s/60s pop, with songs like the opening number, "I Love You", and "Amy's Graduation", but there's also a better balance with the more contemporary AOR sounds as well. Songs like "Through The Windshield", and "Squall City" fall more in line with the west coast-inspired pop of the early 80s. "Rendezvous of Tears"  No doubt thanks to the contributions of artists like pianist Hiroshi Sato, guitarist Masahiro Andoh (T-Square), and Masaki Matsubara (Parachute), who were Jazz-Fusion/AOR masters of their time. Overall it's a pretty mellow album, thanks to Kaoru's pleasant voice and a wistful backing chorus, thanks to the vocal talents of the sisters Eve, Jin Kirigaya, and Sugi himself. Unfortunately, there are no real "anthems" like in other notable City Pop albums, the closest probably being "Through the Windshield" which makes a relaxing driving song. That said, it's an album you can enjoy the whole way through. Overall, Planetarium succeeds at being a great novelty album that fuses City Pop with a vintage "Sock Hop" sound. Fans of Eiichi Ohtaki's A Long Vacation will feel right at home listening to this album. 

Fuyü-Kükan (浮遊空間 ) by Tomoko Aran ‎- 1983

Tomoko Aran (亜蘭知子) is a singer-songwriter born in 1958, from Aomori prefecture, Japan. Like many City Pop artists, her interest was in music began as a child after being exposed to American music, for her in particular, the music of Cliff Richard. Since then she started translating the lyrics of her favorite songs by Elton John, T.Rex, The Beatles, and many more, which developed into a passion for songwriting. At the age of 19, she was introduced to producer Daikoto Nagoto(長戸大幸), and joined his production company, Being Co., Ltd. Since then she's built her career as a songwriter composing singles for artists like singer & actor, Junko Mihara(三原 じゅん子), as well the summer rock band, TUBE. On top of that, she also put out solo albums of her own, 9 in total. Her most popular, especially over the internet, was her 1983 release, Fuyü-Kükan(浮遊空間).

This album was produced by Daiko Nagato and Masatoshi Nishimura, who you might know from his collaboration with Harry Hosono on his electronic album, SFX, and with the supergroup, Friends of Earth, which included Nishimura, Hosono, and even the Godfather of Funk, James Brown. Nishimura also has the help of his backing band, Fence of Defence, starring rock guitarist Kenji Kitajima(北島健二) & Drummer Wataru Yamada(山田わたる). Fuyi-Kukan also features saxophonist, Toshihiko Furumura (古村利彦), from The Fuse, backing band of rockstar Shogo Hamada(浜田省吾), jazz bassist Masao Nakajima(中島正雄), and South Korean singer, Ji Sook (서지숙), who goes by Mizuhara Akiko (水原 明子) in Japan. The album features compositions by Nishimura, singer-songwriter Tetsuro Oda(織田哲郎), and composer Masanori Sasaji (笹路正徳)

Fuyu Kukan was one of the many City Pop albums that received new life and international fame in the modern era thanks to the magic of the Youtube algorithm. It was recently sampled by popular Canadian singer, The Weekend, in his new single Out of Time. The album will also be receiving a remaster this month.

THE MUSIC

1. Body To Body ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
2. Lonely Night⭐⭐⭐⭐
3. I’m In Love ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
4. Je Re N Ma (Dilemma)⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5. Midnight Pretenders⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
6. Summer Tapestry(ひと夏のタペストリー)⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
7. Hannya (般若)⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
8. Bye Bye Yesterday⭐⭐⭐⭐
9. Baby, Don’t You Cry Anymore ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

THE VERDICT 

Fuyu-Kukan simultaneously feels like an 80s time capsule and yet still boundary-pushing, blending elements of New Wave, disco, and techno into each song, all complemented by Aran's lush sensuous voice.  Essential City Pop numbers like I'm in Love and Midnight Pretenders, provide a smooth and mellow sound that blends R&B and synth-pop perfectly. Body To Body & Lonely Night are epic new wave tracks with some rocking guitar riffs and groovy saxophone solos. Summer Tapestry is the perfect electro-dance track for a poolside party. The ending song, Baby Don't You Cry Anymore, is an epic sentimental piece that gradually evolves into a power ballad. 

Even the really experimental songs are still extremely catchy, like Dilemma, which perfectly encapsulates the feeling of being stuck in a high-stress office environment, with its quirky ambient noises of busy typewriters and frogs(?) accompanied by chiptune synths. Hanya is the other off-kilter song with heavy metal guitar riffs on top of a funky electronic beat that sounds like a tame song from a Nina Hagen album, and that's saying a lot! My Japanese is a bit rusty, but I do know the term Hanya actually refers to a type of mask they use in play and Shinto rituals that are known to symbolize the souls of women who have become demons due to obsession or jealousy. Considering the title and the time period, the song may be a commentary on how young women get corrupted by the excessive debauchery of the Buble Era nightlife. 

Tomoko Aran manages to offer the right balance of fresh ideas and familiar feel-good vibes with Fuyü-Kükan. Whether you're looking for something avant-garde or looking for the next groovy dance track to move to, Fuyü-Kükan has something great to offer. Make sure you get the 2022 rerelease that contains remastered songs and a bonus alternate take of Dilemma.

AB's by The AB's - 1983

After finishing the new album "An Evening with Silk Sonic" by super duo Silk Sonic starring Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak, it was an affirmation of how some music team-ups just make sense. Whether it is Dr. Dre & Snoop Dog, or Michael McDonald & James Ingram, pairing the right superstar talent together will bring about some amazing results. This is equally true in the realm of city pop, case in point, the legendary team-up of two of the genre's most iconic crooners, Makoto Matsushita(松下誠) and Fujimaru Yoshino (芳野藤丸), to form The AB's.

After listening to Matsushita's own debut album First Light (1981), Fujimaru reached out to him to collaborate on an album to create a similar atmosphere and aesthetic. The two also teamed up with Bassist and Drummer Naoki Watanabe(渡辺直樹) and Atsuo Okamoto (岡本郭男) respectively, both of whom were formerly in the Brass-Rock band, SPECTRUM from 1979 to 1981. Okamoto was also Yoshino's bandmate from the AOR group, SHOGUN. They also brought in former Parachute band member, Yoshihiko Ando (安藤芳彦), for his keyboard skills and his ability to write lyrics. Together they formed The ABs, named after their blood types; Yoshino, Matsushita, and Watanabe being AB (although years later Fujimaru learned he was actually B), and Ando and Okamoto being A.

The first project the ABs worked on was actually Yoshino's personal1982 solo album Yoshino Fujimal, alongside female crooner, Haruko Kuwana. Afterward, they would work together backing Kuwana's own 1982 album, Moonlight Island. Once they established a solid comradery, they started recording sessions for their own album, releasing the Girl/Django single by December of 1982, and their self-titled debut album, The AB's, in January of 1983. They also released their first track, Deja Vu as a single and part of a compilation in the UK unofficially in 1984 through Legendary UK compilation label, Streetsounds. Deja Vu ended up charting at 80 in the Official UK Top 100 Albums Charts, making it one of the very few Japanese songs to chart in the UK in the 80s'.

THE MUSIC

1. Deja Vu ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
2. Dee-Dee-Phone ⭐⭐⭐⭐
3. Django ⭐⭐⭐⭐
4. Fill the Sail ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5. Asian Moon ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐
6. In the City Night ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
7. Girl ⭐⭐⭐⭐
8. Just You ⭐⭐⭐⭐

THE VERDICT:

The AB's is the perfect blend of both Fujimaru Yoshino and Makoto Matsushita's sensibilities as musicians. Matsushita's knack for combining smooth Jazz and progressive rock blends well with Fujimaru's more R&B and pop-oriented style. On top of that, the whole production has an ethereal sound to it, from the glossy keyboard synths to the echoing wailing guitars that give the whole record a vibe that's equally sophisticated & cool. In The City Night proves to be an essential City Pop anthem with its funky bassline, jazzy drumbeat, and excellent vocal harmonies. Asian Moon is another underrated gem that leans on more of the prog side but still exciting in its own right, with its slow build-up at the beginning where the guitar almost sounds like shamisen, until it explodes into a Jazz-Rock jam session. It's really interesting when a j-pop song purposely starts with an oriental-style intro only to transition into a more western song, when executed right it's a cool and exciting subversion of expectations.

If you're a fan of the tight & technical musicianship of Toto, but are looking for a sound that straddles the line between the Jazz/Funk of Level 42, and Ted Rungen-Esque art-pop, then AB’s is the labrum for you. It’s a City Pop classic with a familiar groovy sound that knows just where to push the boundary to keep things interesting.

Aqua City by Kiyotaka Sugiyama & Omega Tribe - 1983

 

Kanagawa prefecture is famous for turning out artists who've dedicated their music to Summer.  Anri is the first example that comes to mind, but then you have bands from the Shonan region like TUBE, folk duo Bread & Butter, and most famously, Southern All-Stars. However, the one band that most City Pop fans in the west will be familiar with is Omega Tribe, lead by Kiyotaka Sugiyama (杉山清貴). 

THE HISTORY 

Omega Tribe was a band that debuted in 1980 as the amateur band Kyutipanchosu. After winning the  Yamaha Popular Song Contest, they were picked up by Koichi Fujita (藤田浩一), producer & president of Triangle Productions,  and they changed their name to Omega Tribe just in time to release their debut single, Summer Suspicion in April 1983, followed by their first album Aqua City, sever l months later.

During the recording or Aqua City, the band included, of the Kyutipanchosu members, guitarist Toshitsu Takashima (髙島信二), Keiichi Hiroishi (廣石恵一) for drums, Takao Oshima (大島孝夫) for bass, and Kenji Yoshida (吉田健二) for guitar. The original band's keyboardist Akira Senju (千住明) was replaced with Toshitsugu Nishihara (西原俊次). The goal of Aqua City was to further cement their new identity as the summer pop band,  with a collection of songs with themes of summer, the beach, and the sea. To accomplish this they needed the best production team possible. While Kiyotaka himself was the lead singer, he only composed 3 of the songs on the album, the rest of the music composition was handled by music veteran Tetsuji Hayashi (林哲司), who was responsible for giving them their signature yacht rock sound. Arrangements were split between Hayashi, Tsugutoshi Goto (後藤次利), former bassist of rock group Sadistic Mika Band, and Kenzo Shikuma (志熊研三), who had previously worked on Toshiki Kadomatsu's debut album, Sea Breeze, in 1981. One of the lyricists for the album was Korean-Japanese writer Chinfa Kang, who's made previous hit singles for artists like R&B singer Masaki Ueda (上田正樹), and pop idols  Hiromi Iwasaki (岩崎 宏美) & Mariko Takahashi (高橋真梨子). The other was Yasushi Akimoto (秋元 康), who's considered today the most famous lyricists in Japan and would later be known for revolutionizing the idol industry with his seminal groups Onyanko Club and AKB48. Aqua City was released by VAP Records on September 21, 1983, peaking at #4 on the Oricon charts. The album's stylish blue-tinted cover photo was taken at the Waikiki Walls of Honolulu Hawaii.

THE MUSIC

1) Summer Suspicion: Omega Tribes very first hit single, a pop-rock song about a young man's worries of his girlfriend breaking up with him before the summer's over. Complete with a dramatic opening, cheesy synths, beach boy-inspired vocal harmonies, and a rocking guitar solo, this makes for the perfect opening track.

2) Paddling To You: A pretty standard 80's pop-rock song with slightly more surf-rock vibes. This song was written by Sugiyama during the band's Kyutipanchosu phase and was modified to pass the strict screening of the producer.

3) Midnight Down Town: Things get a bit more interesting here with a George Duke-inspired Latin disco track about lovebirds out for a late-night party.

4) Light Morning: A much mellower rock ballad composed by Sugiyama, although it retains the same pop-rock feel of Paddling to You.

5) 海風通信 (Sea Breeze Communication): Another surf rock-inspired pop song.

6) Transit in Summer: Side B begins with easily the best song on the album. A resort pop number about two lovers taking a first-class plane ride to summer vacation. From the smooth drums & bass-line to the Champaign sounding synths, the mellow guitar licks, this is definitely the most city pop-sounding track.

7) Trade Wind: A great melodic follow-up to the previous song, Trade Wind continues the light mellow motif and goes more for a tropical paradise sound. The vocal harmonies on the chorus are fantastic, plus we get an amazing saxophone solo halfway through the song.

8) Sexy Halation: Another light & mellow track, this time about falling for beautiful women at the beach.

9) Alone Again: One of Omega Tribe's most iconic songs which pretty much established their formula for slow ballads. A romantic song defined by its mellow beat, melodramatic strings, and smooth vocals that fade out into the sound of ocean waves.

THE VERDICT

Production: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Vocals:⭐⭐⭐⭐

Arrangement:⭐⭐⭐

Aesthetic:⭐⭐⭐⭐

Memorability: ⭐⭐⭐

Composition:⭐⭐⭐⭐

I think Aqua City is a good introduction for the band. It lays the groundwork for all future albums with its slick arrangements, and lyrics formed solely for the purpose of evoking the feeling of summer vacation, the ocean, and some imagery of urban skyscrapers scattered throughout. It's one of those albums where I wouldn't worry about finding a translation since you're not going to find anything deep or sophisticated. It's 80's sunshine pop at its finest.

 What goes into my major problem with the album is that it feels very by the numbers. There are only 3 unique tracks on the album and the rest fall into generic 80's soft rock territory, with the same-sounding guitar solos and generic synthesizers, causing everything to blend into each other. Out of the 3 tracks written by Kiyotaka Sugiyama, Light Morning is definitely my favorite as it's the most mellow out of the other pop rock-sounding tunes. Midnight Downtown does the best job to break up the monotony of the whole thing as it's the only Latin-inspired track on the album. It also helps that Tetsuji Hayashi took a few cues from George Duke's 1979 track, Brazilian Love Affair. The same can be said about Transit In Summer which very obviously bites from Niteflyte's song, You Are. Thankfully Hayashi does enough to make each song more unique and stand apart compared to their American counterparts.

I think what really saves this album that the overall production of the album, while played safe, is consistent in quality. The bass is driving, the drums are steady, and the guitarists have an excellent sense of rhythm and some impressive solos. It also helps that Sugiyama himself has a very soothing voice, and the backing vocals only help to accentuate its ethereal sound, as well as further evoke the Beach Boys-inspired vibe to the album. I'd say he's definitely one of the best male vocalists in the City Pop genre. 

Overall, despite having very few killers stand-alone tracks, Aqua City does a good job establishing Omega Tribe's winning formula and listening to the album consecutively, I think it makes a great soundtrack to a day at the beach or a cruise down a sunset lit highway. Which was obviously their goal. I was fortunate enough to meet a real Omega Tribe fan from Japan last year in 2019, he had a gold chain with their logo and everything He came to visit Santa Monica and was drawn to the souvenir shop I worked at since I was playing Omega Tribe on the loudspeaker. While we were bonding he told me that same day Kiyotaka Sugiyama was performing his last live concert with Omega Tribe. Even though Omega Tribe is no more, Sugiyama himself is still making music, which you can listen to now (along with his Omega Tribe works), on iTunes and Spotify.

ALBUM REVIEW: Timely!! by Anri - 1983

All the photography for this album was done in Hawaii 

A few days ago before the time I write this review, Spotify had just released the discography (between 78 and 97) of Japanese pop singer-songwriter Eiko Kawashima (川嶋 栄子), known by her stage name as Anri (杏里), to American audiences. At this point in time, Anri has released 40+ albums in her career, but the one that made her famous thanks to the internet is without a doubt her 1983 magnum opus, Timely!!

THE HISTORY

Timely!! is Anri's sixth original album released on December 5, 1983, by Four Life Records. It's a significant album for a few reasons, first and foremost, it features two of her most iconic singles. The 1st song Cat's Eye was used as the first opening theme for the eponymous 1983 anime series Cat's Eye. The original TV version is much different than the album version, going for the more generic synth-pop route. Anri actually didn't even like singing the song at first, understandably so, seeing how she felt being an adult contemporary artist, singing a theme to an anime, during a time when it was still considered "just for kids", was beneath her. But it ended up being a hit, debuting as #1 on Countdown Japan and holding the #1 spot on the Oricon chart for 4 weeks straight (think Billboard top 20). There's also her second single, 悲しみがとまらない (I Can't Stop the Loneliness), which while not surpassing Cat's Eye in popularity or sales, only making it to #4, became a standard hit for Anri nonetheless, becoming a popular song for live shows.

The 1983 Anime Cat's Eye

The album also features two of the most influential composers of the 80s, with Toshiki Kadomatsu (角松敏生) as the lead producer, with assistance from composer & arranger Tetsuji Hayashi (林哲司). The album also features other significant musicians like keyboardist Jun Sato (佐藤 準), fusion guitarist Masaki Matsubara (松原正樹), along with fellow female singers, Yurie Kokubu (国分友里恵) and the sister trio Eve (イヴ) on backing vocals. 

Timely!! ended up becoming Anri's first album to make it on the Oricon charts, earning her an appearance at the Red and White New Year's Music Special at the end of that same year.

THE MUSIC

1. Cat's Eye: First thing I should point out, is that comparing the Anime version of the song and the album version is like Night & Day. Toshiki goes full force on the big band disco arrangement, completely blowing the original out of the water! From the tight brass to the powerful slap bass. It even has a little bit of voice acting/role-play from the titular Cat's Eye thieves to give the song that "image" touch.
2. Windy Summer: One of the many iconic City Pop anthems, it's the perfect blend of Tatsuro Yamashita's summertime vibe, combined with Kadomatsu's signature cool/hip-pop sensibilities. 
3. Stay By Me: Another groovy beach-friendly dance tune, with the added dash of yacht rock with Masaki Matsubara's guitar solo near the end.
4. A Hope From Sad Street: Another funky uptempo number with some awesome Doo-Wop style vocals that feel right at home with EPO's style of music. Featuring dreamy synthesizer work by Keishi Urata(浦田恵司).
5. You Are Not Alone: An R&B ballad Written by Chinfa Kan（康珍化）and composed by Tetsuji Hayashi, which you can tell by his signature AOR flugelhorn arrangements.
6. 悲しみがとまらない - I Can't Stop the Loneliness: A sad song about a missed opportunity of love set to an upbeat disco arrangement that hearkens back to the '70s. Anri channels her inner idol with the way she approaches the vocals.
7. Shyness Boy: A groovy disco beat about falling in love with a bashful guy. Complete with a signature 80s sax solo.
8. Lost Love in The Rain: An interesting ballad that blends some Baroque/Chamber Pop style arrangements with a more contemporary AOR sound.
9. Driving My Love: What City Pop album is complete without a driving song? It's probably the most basic song in the LP, but groovy nonetheless.
10. Good Night For You: Starts off with a blues-inspired piano riff, and goes off into a soulful lullaby as Anri gets everyone in a dreamy mood.
11. Remember Summer Days: The true final ending if you have the 2011 remastered version of the album. While Windy Summer represents the beginning of summer, this song hits you with a dose of groovy melancholy, making you long for the summers that have passed. It's the perfect song to warm somebody up while they wait for next year's season in the sun.

THE VERDICT

Production: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Vocals:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Arrangement:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Aesthetic:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Memorability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Composition:⭐⭐⭐⭐

I find it very ironic that they decided to release such a summer-tinged album in December, but that might have been the joke (that's probably what makes this album so timely 😉😉). Perhaps they wanted to give people something they can reminisce about.

Either way Timely!! is a damn fun listen, thanks to Anri's warm ethereal vocals, plus Toshiki Kadomatsu's top-notch production. The whole album is smothered with tight horns, funky bass-lines, and super dreamy back vocals that make it so fun to listen to. But the production is also what makes it so cliché.

This album is the result of when you take Tatsuro Yamashita's For You, and Kadomatsu's Offshore, put it in a blender, and then let Tetsuji Hayashi stick his finger in the mix. It takes tropes that were done by previous albums in the same vein before it without anything new. Case in point, before Toshiki put his magic touch on it, Cat's Eye was just another generic anime theme, and You Are Not Alone has almost the exact same arrangement as the aptly named Alone Again by Omega Tribe, another band produced by Hayashi. But that's not to say it's completely a bad thing, to be fair you can make the case for a lot of City Pop music being cliché, it's just a matter of how well you execute them. The best example being Windy Summer, a clear homage to Yamashita's Sparkle, even down to the guitar riffs, but Toshiki's added arrangements and Anri's lyrics are blended in the perfect way that makes the song feel familiar but fresh.

While not anything groundbreaking, the superb and addicting sound of this album makes Timely!! one of my favorite City Pop albums, and my all-time favorite Anri album. I'd say it's a must-have in anyone's collection, just make sure you get the 2011 reissue that includes the added single, Remember Summer Days, so you have the perfect soundtrack for your next summer beach party.