When I first began taking guitar lessons many moons ago, my teacher asked me something that has stuck with me until this very day: “When you play guitar, what colors do you see? What scene do you see in your mind?” I’ve never forgotten that. To this day every time I hear any piece of music, I visualize different scenery and colors in my mind. It's kind of an odd experience, it’s almost like everything I listen to is a soundtrack to a movie.
When I first listened to Perhaps, Drawing Again by Kenji Shinagawa, I immediately pictured myself walking down a busy city street on a beautiful, clear day, with sparks of yellow and orange everywhere. The world was moving in slow motion, and I felt an odd calmness with all that surrounded me. For some strange reason, behind these city streets, I envisioned snow capped tall mountains, flying eagles, and a radiant sun. Oddly enough, after doing some research on Kenji, this vision seems to be fitting.
Originally from Osaka, but now residing in New York City, Kenji’s music seems to resemble a piece of his life. Its busy, yet calming acoustic melodies are layered with a pulsing quiet drum kit and intricate guitar lines. Beneath all that’s going on in Kenji’s music, there is a beauty and depth of something epic and serene like Kenji's homeland of Osaka.
Reminiscent of Sun Kil Moon, or even Balmorhea with its quite haunting melodies, Kenji knows how to grasp his listeners with his spectacular guitar playing. He has a very jazzy style, but somehow makes it slightly poppy at the same time with his catchy melodies. “Hero’s Plectrum” is one of the highlights of the album. This track starts with a catchy, bluesy, tremolo guitar-based melody that brings you into Kenji's vision of beauty. By the end of the track, the melody crescendos into a gorgeous array of musical sunlight.
Kenji isn’t the most interesting musician you’ll ever hear, but he certainly is a breath of fresh air. His music isn’t abrasive or overwhelming with overplayed guitar tracks or ambient noise. It's laid back, haunting, and makes you feel good. Perhaps, Drawing Again is like that first cup of coffee in the morning, a walk on a fall day, or watching the seagulls fly on the shore; familiar, yet never dull or boring.
-Kevin Savo