Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Review: Maboroshi


Artist: Joe Inoue / 井上ジョー
Single (Maboroshi only): Maboroshi / 幻 / Illusion / Vision

Joe Inoue's 3rd single, Maboroshi, is by far his best and prettiest song. It's his first ballad, and I hope he does more because this song is the most beautiful song I've heard in 2009 so far. I was excited when I discovered Joe Inoue several months ago, because he is Japanese, but grew up in California, and is therefore fluent in English.
However, I was underwhelmed by his earlier songs. They just didn't work for me. Maboroshi, though, has stunned me with its elegance.
The song is illustrated with violins and cellos in the background, and Joe has switched from the electric guitar to the acousitc, played with assuming softness, which together with his soft, gentle vocals has really won me over. Joe manages to keep his voice emotional and soft without losing strength or coming across as whiny. I also really like the melody! I can't say much about the lyrics at the moment, but from what I can understand, I'm touched.

Watch the beautiful promotional video on YouTube!



No comments:

Post a Comment