Rather than "鬼の居ぬ間に（命の）洗濯" (enjoying a complete break while the ogre is away; when the cat's away, the mice will play), I'm writing this review in the absence of 鬼束ちひろ.
This album went against my expectations—in a good sense. In fact, it drove away all my previous concerns. It also is a materialization of Onitsuka Department Store.
As if to sweep away the dark image of Sugar High, this nice tune brings a breeze of fresh air. I could just picture how Chihiro is grinning mischievously, proud of being able to make various types of songs. Words that suggest a journey—the underlying theme of this album—such as "I guess life is long" and "hitchhike... from town to town" are presented here.
2. bad trip
In sharp contrast to the previous song, this one is quite reflective:
When you'll let me do what I want to
I may be alone
may be bad trip.
Do these words reflect her own soul-searching?
Incidentally, the word "flo" that is printed on the leaflet is of course a typo for "fro." It's really too bad she didn't have somebody check it.
Probably it's because she was not still her old self when she recorded this track, but her song sounds light and flat here. Still, this is a lovable pop love song. "The two take a journey like chemistry" (literal translation) is a catchy phrase and I like it.
These gloomy lyrics betray the bright-looking title. This is another example of her favorite trick of putting contradictory elements into one thing.
5. amphibious
A daring rock number. I recalled that she once said she was comfortable about being a freelance who didn't belong to any organization. Again in this song, she uses "boku," the word used by boys.
This is a kind of autobiographical work that can't be heard without tears. It may be about Kobatake-san, but it's also about any other relationships between people.
A song with trippy lyrics. According to the Japanese translation printed on the leaflet, "I just kneel to bright ditch down" should actually read "I just kneel down over this bright ditch."
8. Rainman
By the Kobatake magic, the simpler single version has been turned into a rich musical piece. But isn't it too cute for her?
9. Angelina
This impressive song is characterized by its powerful words. She asks who will love this gap, blank, solitude, darkness, loneliness and wound if she doesn't love them. In "Sodatsu Zasso," she sang "I'm dead now." In "Angelina," she sings "I'm not dead yet."
10: BRIGHTEN US
She found a new musical dimension here. I'm very impressed by how versatile she is.
11: everyhome
This somewhat elusive masterpiece that had been released as a single finally found the right place to fit in. The piano intro simply gives me a thrill. Its underlying theme, according to Chihiro, is the wind.
Japanese people have a strong tendency to omit subject words whenever possible. And here, Chihiro (intentionally) omits all subjects. So "まだ今は来ない次の列車を待つ," for instance, may be either "I wait for the next train that is not arriving yet" or "We/You/He/She/They wait(s) for the next train that is not arriving yet." All we can do is to let our imagination run wild!
But what does the word "everyhome" mean in the first place? I've found a hint in the following lines:
And [I/We/You/He/She/They] will go on walking down this road
It really isn't to find a home to go back to.
I guess it's a ChihirEnglish word that means to say that even if you are incessantly swept away by winds, everywhere is your home.
(All quotations are given from respective works listed above. Original text copyrighted by Chihiro Onitsuka. Translated and quoted by Folia in compliance with the Japanese Copyright Act. The above translations may be superficial rather than deliberate, and are intended for your information only.)
[2008-12-29]
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