Kishi Bashi: Omoiyari Review



Kishi Bashi must be an amazing person to be. There's a contentedness in everything I've ever heard him make in his solo career that I wish I could have. If you've heard his music, I get that initially that doesn't come across. He is, after all, making violin-centric progressive rock. The fact that it works at all is impressive, but it's been a slow, but noticeable, slide away from the synaptic dazzler 151a. What I wanted from Kishi was....that. What Kishi wants, I would imagine, is to make whatever makes him happy. Being experimental and good has to be taxing.

Turns out, he doesn't need to be experimental to still be really good. It was always clear he could put out a great, simple song. Bright Whites and Q&A both did a great folky job, but I always assumed they would be a breather. Omoiyari takes these examples as building blocks for a mid-career breather; on that scale, it's easy to accept a quieter album.

When everything is as warm and sunny as this is, that's all the easier. Kishi brings all the experience he has with stringed instruments and trademark falsetto to the table, and it's a great fit for the singer-songwriter americana vibes he is going for. It reminds me of many acts that were en vogue in the late 2000s: The Head and the Heart, Sufjan Stevens, Bon Iver, etc. On songs like Marigolds and Summer of '42, there's a more baroque presentation than any of them would normally put out. A lot more layering of vocals is nothing new, either, and it just makes that americana glimmer more on standouts A Song for You and Angeline.

If Bashi is good at warmth, he's also good at putting a bitter tone in every now and then. Angeline is by no means a happy song, but it's nonetheless lovely. Theme from Jerome presents a similar sad melody that soars in multilingual passion, and I refuse to look up the translation--I like what I think it says more than the clarity would provide. These are just as important to that frontier sound as the livelier numbers, but I'm glad they don't dominate the majority of the record.

I'm impressed, despite how homogeneous the album feels, that it's...not. Marigolds, A Meal for Leaves, Summer of '42 all sound as they do because of the context in which they are heard. If I had put them on another album, I wouldn't have given them an americana label at all. And yet, they fit so well alongside Penny Rabbit and Summer Bear, and I can't quite figure out why. Especially in the closer, it's at the most jarring to finish Violin Tsunami and close off with Annie, Heart Thief of the Sea. One is a Son Lux or Woodkid fever dream, and the other was played around a campfire with rusting and dusty instruments by half-drunk townies.

It's my understanding that the album was created with the intent of connecting people with a fear of what's different. Certainly something I can applaud, and particularly poignant coming from a man with the lens on the States as he does. In that light, his embracing of the musical traditions borne in the country and juxtaposition of his more traditional musical stylings is more interesting. As I said, the lines are blurred enough that you don't immediately notice the change. That supports his point quite well. Similarly, the fact that the album works whether you know his history, lineage, intent, or views or not proves his point even more. An immigrant playing folk music without a shred of derision or disrespect even if there's reason to; it's a moving plea for common ground.

And it's all just lovely. It's hard to not want to love everything you're hearing. It is safe and in no way groundbreaking, so I don't know how long it will stay in my mind. These aren't challenging melodies, and these aren't overly wise words. This isn't full of mind-warping production or avant garde edits. That's not a complaint--the simplicity and traditionalism presented is a proven approach for a reason. To try to put new ideas in would have made for a lopsided affair. Look at those lovely wood figures on the cover and tell me you aren't here for a calming familiar time. Even if you aren't here for the same reasons as Kishi is, isn't it lovely that you can share this moment of catharsis?

8/10, Vinylworthy

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