Shugo Tokumaru | Night Piece

If you’re like me, you scour the end-of-year “best of” lists looking for recommendations. Thanks to cokemachineglow, I’ve found my first new gem. Its name is Night Piece. Its author, Shugo Tokumaru, is a Japan-based singer/songwriter.

The album and an mp3 sample are available at toneVendor, who has this to say:

‘shugo tokumaru bends the most gentle and familiar pop sounds into a bittersweet backroad journey through a dreamy, imaginary countryside. the instruments are often conventional, but the sound never strays from surprise and bewilderment: acoustic guitars are almost never strummed, but pluck out exact rhythms and slide from note to note in amazing melodies.’

Cokemachineglow’s review adds this information:

“With a run-time under a half-hour, you could fit three Night Pieces onto one CD-R. Go for it. When it’s over you’ll be so sunk into your seat that it will hurt to move, and it’ll save you the trips back to the play button.”

Other Music, who also sells the CD, said:

“Night Piece is really indescribable. The nearest relative I can think of would be the Books Lemon of Pink, and that’s not even that close. This is one of the best album debuts that I’ve heard in a long, long time, don’t miss out. [GH]”

I agree with GH. It’s not close to the Books. It’s way better.

Although not on their best of 2004 list, Pitchfork also give this album a very high rating.

You can download a Shugo song at musicrelated.net.

Shugo posted a special ‘Merry Christmas’ song on his website for download. Get it before the holiday passes.

I love this album so much right now. It’s my holiday recommendation present to you. I hope you love it too.