The Cellar: Shugo Tokumaru - Exit

In terms of those who don’t study music, which I do not being a drummer, music listeners seem to be filtered into two camps: those who think more highly of the meaning of the lyrics than the sound of the music and those who think more highly of the sound of the music than what the lyrics are saying. I am a listener who cares more about the sound of music than the lyrics, which you can see in my reviews, where I rarely write of lyrics. Multi-instrumentalist and topic of today’s post, Shugo Tokumaru, does not speak English. Being that most people in the United States do not speak Japanese, Tokumaru’s Exit causes one to focus much more on the sound of the music because you can’t understand any of the lyrics. If you are a person like me, who does not care as much for lyrics than the musicality of a record, Exit is the ideal album for you.

I was first introduced to Exit by Metacritic, a site that displays new records and tabulates the average review of the album in a score out of a 100. This site is a godsend to me. According to Metacritic, Exit was one of the most critically acclaimed records of 2008 (the year it came out in the states), however very few music publications actually put the album in their top albums of the year. This I will never understand. I really don’t get it because the album is just unparalleled in musicality. Who cares if he doesn’t sing in English?

The musical risks taken on this album are overwhelming to take in. For example, the start of “Green Rain,” with a melodica playing in 7/8 is unrivaled in its uniqueness. How many songs do know start with a melodica that is being played in 7/8? The first time I put this album on in the car my Dad and I had a brief conversation:

Dad: “What the hell is this?”

Me: “Shugo Tokumaru. Do you like it? You normally say the music I listen to sucks.”

Dad: “I know... cause your music does suck (with a chuckle). But this is good. I really like it. I like it a lot. It’s different.”

This is the same reaction I got from everyone who I told to listen to Exit. It was ...“different.” Tokumaru’s music is highly melodic, catchy, but yet unbelievably complicated when stripped down. “La La Radio” is a great example of this concept. It has stunning melodies, but also has fantastic instrumentation. The bridge of the song, where the sound is building more mystifyingly beautiful by the beat, all of a sudden culminates down to a fast, repeated guitar riff. It is just remarkable the way this man constructs a song.

I find it funny that while I listen to this album, I start to sing as if I know the words, which I obviously do not. That is what a good song does to you. You feel like it is your obligation to sing the song because the melodies are so appealing, but yet you often have not a clue of what you’re singing about. I think this album needs to be heard by everyone… NOW! While writing this, I recall a time when I was singing a song from Exit in the car while with my Dad.

Me: (Butchering the beautiful vocal melody of “Parachute”)

Dad: “Who is that?”

Me: “Shugo Tokumaru.”

Dad: “Good. Let’s keep it that way.”

 

- Greg

The video posted below was just about the only video I could put up on the site of Shugo. The vocals are often tough to hear, but it doesn't matter because you won't understand anyway.