Friday, June 12, 2020

Sentimental City Romance -- Romance Kouro(ロマンス航路)



It's been announced today that for the first time in a few months, the number of new infections in Ontario has gone down below 200 (knocking on wood). That welcome news along with the fact that the number of people getting together at any one spot can now go from 5 to 10 has most likely buoyed spirits considerably in Toronto, although unlike the rest of the province, we here in the Greater Toronto-Hamilton Area will have to wait at least another week before we can join the rest in Stage 2, so no restaurants for dine-in and no haircuts for the time being. A second wave may be in wait like a pack of hyenas but for now, we can all bask in some relief and glory.

Would like to show off the perfect song for that feeling. It's the optimal bench-sitting sort of number called "Romance Kouro" (The Romance Run) by the band Sentimental City Romance(センチメンタル・シティ・ロマンスfrom their 1976 album "Holiday". "Romance Kouro" certainly is far away from any enka or aidoru tune, and that's not to slag this song or either of the genres that I've just mentioned; it's simply to illustrate that I think it's a fine and relaxing New Music song which can perhaps also be placed into the centre of that Venn diagram for New Music, City Pop, AOR, and J-Rock. Along with those calming elements at the beginning and ending (helped by the soothing delivery of the lyrics), there is also a middle part that seems to consist of a jam session among the band members. It sounds all-so-nostalgically 1970s.

I guess in a way, "Romance Kouro" pretty much sums up the three words in the band's name. Nothing better for a summertime walk on a weekend. Hope yours is a good one!

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