Music Review: Yoko Kanno - CM Yoko - Page 2

Many of the tracks on CM Yoko go for quiet beauty. Yoko Kanno is a pianist and the quieter tracks on this release play to her strengths. “Seeds Of Life” is a wonderful instrumental piece where her piano is accompanied by strings to great effect. “Melody” is an incredibly cute song where Kanno's piano is featured right alongside English vocals by Miyuki Hatakeyama and a group of children. By the time Hatakeyama sings “May your days be merry and bright” towards the end, you're already there. “em Outro Lugar,” credited to Kanno's early group Samply Red, is a slow jazz piece that's reminiscent of pieces from Cowboy Bebop.

Like the best commercials, CM Yoko is fun and entertaining. With 23 fairly short tracks, none of them has the opportunity to overstay its welcome. It also adds a new dimension to Yoko Kanno for those who only know her through her anime scores. Whether silly, cute, relaxing, or atmospheric, she's up to the challenge.

CM Yoko is available exclusively on iTunes. Although it's a Japanese release, it is available for download from the U.S. iTunes store.

Article Author: Sterfish

From music to manga and television to comics, Sterfish enjoys it all. He's older than you think and younger than you expect.

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