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| By Torsten Bolten |
I found myself on Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles just once in my life since I was on a mini-bus tour of the city back in the summer of 1989. It was just as well that I stayed within air-conditioned comfort on the bus because I couldn't even imagine stepping into any of those ritzy establishments.
Looking at the cover of singer-songwriter Hiroaki Igarashi's（五十嵐浩晃）May 1982 4th album "Wing" reminded me of Rodeo Drive for some reason although I'm not sure whether that is indeed a depiction of one of the world's most expensive commercial streets. But with those deep blue skies and the tall palm trees, it definitely strikes me as being very Los Angeles.
One of the tracks is "Because", a new urban discovery by me that I always cherish this late since the City Pop boom in the late 2010s. Written by Tetsuya Chiaki（ちあき哲也）and composed by Igarashi, it starts off feeling oh-so-80s and then the gallivanting rhythms of the genre begin racing through the streets fueled on a boppy bass. Despite the daytime album cover, "Because" is more nocturnal as Igarashi's protagonist welcomes an old flame back into the apartment after she's gone through a tough spot. He still has feelings for the lass but understands that they are just friends now. Maybe it's a bittersweet thing but more on the sweet side thankfully.
