Music review: 椎名林檎 (Shiina Ringo) - 勝訴ストリップ (Shōso Strip) (2000)

The most recent album to join my fav' list, and actually the only Japanese work in it. Mind you, I have a lot of J-rock (the pillows, eastern youth, MOTFD), city pop (so much) and even more obscure stuff like Zeni Geva or Fiction in my collection, so it's not a case of "token album".

Discovered it while I was surfing RYM and chanced upon the Shimokita-kei genre page. This was the top rated work with an impressive 3.99/5, so I had to hear what this is all about… I can count the number of times I fell in love with an album that quickly on the fingers of one hand. This truly feels like one of those rare artists who seem like they would simply burst if they couldn't let all that creativity out.

But that's not all, because Shiina actually has the skill and perfectionism to channel this boundless inspiration. Rarely have I heard such an original mix with such a consistently high quality. I'd try to describe the sound but it is much too eclectic to do so. There's a clearly an alt rock/J-pop base, but sprinkled with a healthy dose of noise and loads of experimentation, almost changing genre with each track. The whole is strongly shaped by her strong personality tying this strange recipe into something that actually works.

I'll be brutally honest: this is what pretentious so-called "art pop" icons like Björk or Fiona Apple pretend to be, but with enough talent to match the bark. A bit like a powered up and more creatively unhinged Japanese PJ Harvey, in my ears.

Important nota bene: this isn't a one-off fluke, her '99 LP and 東京事変 (Tokyo Jihen)'s first are comparable gems.