Entering the final weekend of the year, it's cold and dreary here in Toronto and I've heard that good chunks of Japan are buried under several centimetres of snow already. Well, if I can start the final Urban Contemporary Friday on KKP for 2023, perhaps I can provide a much better weekend respite, at least vicariously.
I first came across singer-songwriter Hiroshi Murai（村井博）back in September when I heard his scintillating "Hikigane"（鉄爪）from his June 1990 album "Natural". Have yet to listen to the entire album but what I got so far sounded as if City Pop was alive and kicking in his world, although the partial economic setting for the uber-genre was on the verge of collapse in that year or the next. And with this fellow track from "Natural", "Natsu no Kakurega ~ Weekend Resort" (Summer Hideaway), the good times imbued within City Pop just keep on rolling here, too.
Been a while since I referenced kaz-shin from "Music Avenue" and he actually reviewed "Natural" all the way back in 2009. He gave a very nice report on "Weekend Resort" by describing the melody from Hitoshi Haba（羽場仁志）and the arrangement by Greg Mathieson as exquisite while also loving the vocals by Murai himself. I can certainly agree with kaz-shin that it's become a quick favourite of mine and what is also pleasant is Hiromi Mori's（森浩美）work on the lyrics weaving a scene of utter contentedness at that titular resort wherever it may be; my guess it's somewhere in the Caribbean. She even pays a shoutout to the wonderful aroma of coffee brewing in the kitchen. Kaz-shin also compliments Abraham Laboriel's bass playing but I also want to give my love to the mellow horn section.
Well, perhaps the snowbirds from up here in the Great White North are actually enjoying some warm time down in Florida.
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