SHIINA RINGO – SUPERFICIAL GOSSIP

The Shiina Ringo album that Shiina Ringo herself said wouldn’t happen… has happened.

The album’s official English titles have been used here for ease of readability. See the Tracklist at the end of the article for the official Japanese titles.

After converting her legions of fans (and then some) into raving, lifelong zealots with her self-proclaimed final solo album, 2003′s brilliant Karuki Zāmen Kuri no Hana, Ringo ditched the reins to her career as a solo artist and embraced what she said had once only been a dream – to relinquish sole creative control and be part of a band that not only performs, but writes their songs together. The result – Tokyo Jihen – has to date released three albums and toured the country to much success. Now, 11 years after their founder made her electrifying solo debut with the modern-day classic Muzai Moratorium in 1999, it’s their turn to sit on the sidelines as she once again resumes producing new, original work under her own name.

Firstly, some trivia.

Superficial Gossip is, in true Ringo style, a production with an idiosyncratic fondness for symmetry. Like her sophomore effort Shōso Strip and its follow-up Karuki Zāmen Kuri no Hana before it, the album’s 13 tracks proper are symmetrically arranged, meaning that each song, bar the “axis” (track 7, in this case), has a “partner” on the exact opposite side of the record that has precisely the same number of Japanese characters in its name, a similar theme (lyrically and musically) and in some cases, even the same arranger. There may even be other things being reflected, which are not immediately obvious to me, but I’m sure that someone else out there, with the time and the inclination, is on to it.

And although it can easily be dismissed and forgotten as a gimmick – albeit a structurally fundamental and rather poetic one – once you know such parallels exist in the album, it really does change the way you listen to it and what you listen out for.

Except for temporary virgin (DEATH JAZZ ver.) and bonus track Marunouchi Sadistic (EXPO Ver.), all the songs here are new and written almost exclusively by Ringo. As with most of her past releases, she’s enlisted the help of a number of talented groups and individuals to assist with the arrangements – among others, Hiizumi Masayuki (“HZM” of the instrumental jazz group PE’Z and one-time Tokyo Jihen keyboardist), film and videogame soundtrack composer Takayuki Hattori (son of the renowned composer Katsuhisa Hattori), club jazz group Soil & “Pimp” Sessions and the big-band conductor Saitō Neko, an old friend with whom she had most prominently collaborated with for 2007′s lushly orchestrated Heisei Fūzoku.

The “no concept” concept communicated in nude tones. The Gibson “SG” guitar was the inspiration behind the album’s title

Musically speaking, it doesn’t take many spins of Superficial Gossip to realise that although she’s taken up the name “Shiina Ringo” once again, she certainly hasn’t taken up the eclectic edge that her previous solo albums wielded to so effectively to cut a swathe through the formidable mass of mediocre Japanese pop/rock acts to a bask in a clear, hallowed plain of their own. Largely composed of immaculately produced jazz-rock and big-band numbers, it can be argued that fans who have been following her recent (and some not-so-recent) flirtations with such genres should have seen it coming. It is, by Ringo’s standards, a very safe album.

It opens with the jazz-rock of vogue and a rap by MummyD (from the hip-hop groups Rhymester and Maboroshi). So far, so good. The nasal Ringo wail is back, and frankly if you’re not sure if you’re going to be able to take it, you’ll surely know by the end of track 2, the bluesy soul rocker, blue collar. This is followed by clandestine, an English language track which, with its exuberant brass, fruity flute flourishes, wah-wah guitar and xylophone solo, sounds like the theme to a madcap 70s secret agent anime. After an altogether upbeat start, things slow right down for the acoustic electropop of original intention. This, along with its partner song sharp practice over at track 10, are my personal highlights of the album, if only for the fact that they echo what once was and tease at what could have been…

The next track, temporary virgin, was originally featured on Heisei Fūzoku and the “DEATH JAZZ” version here (arranged by Soul & “Pimp” Sessions) was previously an iTunes-only release. It’s a big-band number, but a little lacklustre for all its pomp. It’s followed similarly by yet another big-band tune, the leading hitter, this time arranged by Saitō Neko. It’s beautifully put together, but all in all it’s just a bit too detailed, a bit too much – at times it seems like Ringo and the instruments are both competing for the same limited space in your eardrums, with Ringo ultimately losing out as her voice trembles under the clear strain of outputting something that can be heard over all the blasting brass and frantic strings.

And then, suddenly, the maelstrom ends, and there’s season.

The axis of the album, and it’s like an oasis. An orchestrated, yet comparatively stripped-back ballad which gives a welcome moment to rest your ears, before…

just the two of us whisks you back to a 50s dancehall with its campy showtune melody and tap-dancing breaks (yes, tap-dancing). This is followed by the jazzy urgency of fake fellow (the album’s second English language track) and the aforementioned goodness and futuristic imagery of sharp practice, where MummyD makes another appearance for the outro. It’s a shame that one of the highlights of the album is succeeded by what has to be the album’s most easily forgettable piece – the perky yet ultimately boring (and ironically titled) excitement.

Then, things start to wind up with ordinary ability, the most sonically naked track on the album with Ringo’s dramatic croons (which seem to span the extremes of her range here) accompanied only by Yasuhiro Kobayashi’s skilled accordian. The last track proper, alone, is perhaps the closest thing Superficial Gossip has to a straightforward rock song and sounds like something she might have written back when she was a teen and penning the tracks that would one day end up on Muzai Moratorium and Shōso Strip.

The bonus track, a bi-lingual reinterpretation of her early classic, Marunouchi Sadistic, is a bit of an awkward addition to the set. Besides ruining the album’s carefully considered symmetry, it’s soulful arrangement by current Tokyo Jihen guitarist, Ukigumo, is at musical odds with the rest of the album’s sound. That, and it doesn’t lift a finger to the original.

Superficial Gossip certainly had a lot to live up to. The “Shiina Ringo” name once evoked images of a wildly talented young singer-songwriter whose brain was an eclectic melting pot of genres, both old and contemporary from around the world. Now, Shiina Ringo is 30 and all grown up; she’s seemingly put her wild days of bedding a different musical style every few minutes behind her and settled down (permanently?) with the sophisticated yet wholly unoffensive Mr. Jazz. She also fancies herself a bit of a postwar crooner, though the jury is still out on whether she’s any good at it.

Once upon a time, Ringo was musically mature for her years. Now, she’s acting precisely her age.

Tracklist
三文ゴシップ (Sanmon Gossip · Superficial Gossip)
EMI Music Japan / Virgin Music, 24/07/09

01. 流行 (Ryūkou · vogue)
02. 労働者 (Rōdōsha · blue collar)
03. 密偵物語 (Mittei Monogatari · clandestine)
04. 〇地点から (〇 Chiten kara · original intention)
05. カリソメ乙女 (DEATH JAZZ ver.) (Karisome Otome (DEATH JAZZ ver.) · temporary virgin)
06. 都合の好い身体 (Tsugou no ii Karada · the leading hitter)
07. 旬 (Shun · season)
08. 二人ぼっち時間 (Futaribocchi Jikan · just the two of us)
09. マヤカシ優男 (Mayakashi Yasaotoko · fake fellow)
10. 尖った手口 (Togatta Teguchi · sharp practice)
11. 色恋沙汰 (Irokoizata · excitement)
12. 凡才肌 (Bonsai Hada · ordinary ability)
13. 余興 (Yokyou · alone)
14. 丸の内サディスティック (EXPO Ver.) (Marunouchi Sadistic (EXPO Ver.))

Note: The official English titles above are often not direct translations of the Japanese titles.

Band

椎名 林檎 (Shiina Ringo)

Shiina Ringo – Official Website
Shiina Ringo – Superficial Gossip Official Website (EMI)