“Don’t cut off your nose just to spite your face…”

Nov 30, 2009 by Joshua    1 Comment     Posted under: music, music feature

Winter break is here, and so comes an end to my hiatus from this blog. I’m going to try something a little different for a bit: Each week, I’ll have updates post on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Mondays will be reserved for music-related posts and Fridays will be reserved for movie-related posts. The music won’t always be new, and the movies won’t always be ones that are released in theaters that day (though that may happen on occasion), but I’ll be sure to share with you my opinions on the media and the reasons behind them. I might even throw in some media of which I have a negative opinion.

Wednesdays will be grab-bag days. I might post something about video games, books, comics, current projects or even just random relevant Internet-related content. Given the increased frequency of updates, the posts won’t always be as long as the ones I’ve made in the past. I’ll leave it to you to judge whether that is a good thing or a bad thing.

Now, as today is Monday, I’d like to share an album with you.

Album: Introduction

Artist: Takénobu

Genre: folk/classical

Sounds Like Maybe: Sufjan Stevens, Jack Johnson, Damien Rice

Gateway Track: “Shady Grove”

Nick Ogawa has talent. Evidence of such can be found in Introduction, the cellist and instrument maker’s 2007 debut album. The collection of tracks hits upon a range of American folk stylings, from toe-tapping bluegrass to soulful, drawn-out melancholy. Ogawa captures the folk vibe in a way that is strangely modern, distanced slightly from its country roots but still hearkening back to the old-time greats of the genre.

The album opens strongly with “Deeper Than the Vine”, an upbeat, bluesy tune that heavily features Ogawa’s voice and strings. The two musical elements blend together to make something so slack and smooth yet clearly solid in sound. His voice is nurturing in its softness, such that in a different context it would sing a lovely lullaby. In this case, however, Ogawa delivers a powerful yet laid-back narrative that skips along into a tempestuous string solo.

The minimalist approach to musical instruments gives the album a particular sound and feel while showcasing Ogawa’s skill. For the most part, songs consist of the cello and, occasionally, backing percussion. While the cello is the star of the album, the percussion provides crucial rhythm, from the syncopated rat-tat-tat of “Deeper Than the Vine” and “Beggars Can’t be Choosers” to the gentle beat of “Time For Some” and “To the Stars”. Add to that the depth and variety of the strings and the additional rhythm pounded out on their frames to get the beautiful combination that Ogawa has achieved.

About halfway through the album, the mood of the songs shifts from upbeat and mischievous to drawn-out and sorrowful. The first half culminates in “Beggars Can’t be Choosers”, an energetic tale of promiscuity that is sure to induce many a fit of spirited dancing. The music then shifts into a more serious sound, much like the shift from Summer to Autumn. The latter tracks, such as “Pretty Fix” and “Neverland”, induce images of cold and wet days better spent inside. One exception is “Low Integrity”, which does feature long vocal phrases but plays them out over jaunty, playful string instrumentals.

Introduction may appeal to those who love the tone of folk music but balk at the slightest indication of a Southern country sound. Think of the soundtrack to “Serenity” or “Cowboy Bebop” (the bluesy stuff, not the crazy female vocalist stuff). One track, “Shady Grove”, is reminiscent of “Ballad of Serenity”, the opening song of the former TV show. “Shady Grove”, an American Folk standard, is a love song pining for a woman – or possibly a place – that shares the song’s name. Ogawa delivers the melody without grit but filled with compunction.

For a proper demonstration of Ogawa’s music, observe the following video in which he plays “Deeper Than the Vine”, the song that netted him first place in the Williamsburg Live Songwriter’s Competition 2006 in Brooklyn:

The video performance, being a solo, lacks the percussion accompaniment of the album version, but Ogawa nails the fret slaps well enough. It also lacks a couple extra minutes of tense build-up.

This Wednesday, I’ll post much-belated details (and pictures) of my Halloween costume, and on Friday I’ll post a review of Duncan Jones’ 2009 film “Moon”.

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