151a by Kishi Bashi (2012)
I went home over Thanksgiving weekend (this post is a little overdue) and my cousin asked if I had ever heard of Kishi Bashi. Knowing my taste in music, she thought this would be a fit. She played a sample song for me. At first, I was a little put off…it was a pretty strange song. However, she played track 3 for me and immediately the light bulb went on. It was a familiar song I had heard countless times. Where? It had been played relentlessly as a background song in a Windows 8 commercial. I never knew the artist or name of the song until then. That song was called “Bright Whites.” It was pretty catchy so I gave the album the benefit of the doubt and listened to every song.
Some of the standouts are “Manchester”, “Bright Whites”, “Atticus, In the Desert”, and “Beat the Bright Out of Me”. “Bright Whites” is definitely a feel-good song. “Atticus, In the Desert” has the ability to transport you to another place. “Beat the Bright Out of Me” is a cross of “Tomorrow Never Knows” by the Beatles with “Carry On” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and a hint of “(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady” by Oasis. Most of the songs have beautiful strings and a quirkiness to them. If you like Indie music and clever lyrics then this might be an album you’ll like. I’m going to be watching this artist closely in the future.
View 151a on Amazon
Ardent Thoughts 