Natsuko Yamamoto -- Jounetsu wa Shoukyuushi (Oyasumi)（情熱は小休止(おやすみ)）

 

Once again, we've reached Hump Day in the middle of the week when a lot of the working or studying population are crying out for a little breather. Too far away from last weekend and too far away from the upcoming one, Wednesdays can be quite hard to take, but endure them we do.

Speaking of breathers, I give you "Jounetsu wa Shoukyuushi (Oyasumi)" (Passion's Taking a Little Break...Good Night), another track from Natsuko Yamamoto's（山本奈津子）lone 1984 album "19/20". Her previous two tracks featured here on "Kayo Kyoku Plus" were the cutesy City Pop "Hachi-gatsu no Fuan"（八月の不安）and the synthpop "Kuchibiru Scandal"（くちびるスキャンダル）. So it looks like we've got some variety in "19/20" here because "Jounetsu wa Shoukyuushi" seems more like straight-line pop.

From what I remember, passion has been a popular word in kayo kyoku titles and lyrics, so it's rather refreshing to hear that the emotion is blurting out that it's decided to go on a bit of a vacation. After all, even passion has to wind down its fire once in a while. Written by Yumi Morita（森田由美）and composed by Nobuo Tsunetomi（常富喜雄）, the bass and the synths are in there for sure but those representative instruments of City Pop and technopop aren't quite showing the flag, so to speak, in this particular track, maybe in reflection of what the title says. Even Yamamoto herself sounds like she's more than ready to take that nap on the chaise lounge.