Chara – Madrigal – Review

Chara

Madrigal (Epic, Japan)
by Michael McCarthy

What she lacks in vocal range, Japan’s Chara has always made up for with her diverse songwriting, and she continues this tradition on Madrigal (Epic, Japan), a kaleidoscope of beautiful songs that never sound quirky just for the sake of being quirky. Where Puffy AmiYumi’s music often sounds like they’re trying too hard to include, well, everything, Chara’s equally eclectic music just is. She’s not the sort of artist whom you cite as having influences; she’s the sort of artist whom you cite as being an influence. To that end, I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s influenced Puffy, since she’s been around for over a decade, despite the fact that her voice still sounds as girlishly sweet as it did when her first single was released. As for Madrigal, her latest, she begins with a pair of songs in collaboration with James Iha of the Smashing Pumpkins, who co-wrote, co-produced and provides guitars, additional keyboards and backing vocals (and even bass on one). The first track (unfortunately, I’m unable to provide a translation of the Japanese titles) is a soft song that sounds like a lullaby, Chara’s dreamy vocals warm and almost whispered. (It’s a song so captivating that I’m rocking back and forth to its subtle beat as I write this.) Track two sounds more like something Iha would have done in Pumpkins, with crunching guitars and semi-aggressive drums dominating the mix, yet it’s still unmistakably Chara. Her vocals command your attention even when they’re somewhat buried in the mix during the upbeat, almost-dancable chorus. As for the rest of the album, which is Iha-free, there’s not a bad song in the bunch, and no two sound alike. Some could be called rock, while others would nicely fit under the old-already “electronica” moniker, but they’re all inspired pop at heart.
[www.sonymusic.co.jp]