Paniyolo + Akio Watanabe: Yanami
Schole

Thankfully, Sora Mo Sukoshi, the lovely album guitarist Paniyolo (Muneki Takasaka) and steelpan player Akio Watanabe issued four years ago, wasn't a one-off, as a follow-up from the collaborators has now materialized. Even better, the character of the music they presented on that earlier set hasn't undergone any noticeable change: the new one, Yanami (The row of houses), is as tranquil, delicate, and pure as its predecessor. Nothing more than the acoustic sounds of their instruments appear, and nothing more is needed when the gentle music they produce is so heartwarming.

In keeping with the warm, engaging tone of the music, the two have fashioned the release so that its eleven tracks focus on the humble simplicity of everyday life, with each track intended to focus attention on things generally overlooked in the busyness of contemporary life. Writing a morning letter, cleaning out rain gutters, going to the store for stamps, enjoying the view from a bridge during a walk—all such and more are the subject matter of Yanami. The acoustic guitar has strong associations with folk music, and of course the sound of the steelpan evokes the Caribbean and other tropical locales, so it makes sense that the album would be transporting. But that's as attributable to the peaceful, unsullied character of the music the two create as it is the instruments involved.

Mirroring the different rhythms of a day, settings filled with nostalgic yearning (“Rain Gutter,” “Promenade”) intertwine with animated ones, but it's the former that dominate. Pretty reveries like “Palette” and the lilting “Softly” are immediate stress-reducers capable of stripping away each and every anxiety-inducing worry from one's life. “Parable” changes things up audibly when Watanabe sets steelpan aside for guitar, but the album's presentation is otherwise consistent from start to finish. Also adding variety, in some pieces Takasaka's is the lead instrument, in others Watanabe's.

Takasaka has made collaboration something of a habit, considering that aside from this project he's worked with guitarist Daishi Nakamura and singer Miho Ota on others. The one with Watanabe is particularly special, however, for the soul-replenishing quality of the music they produce, and is hopefully a creative partnership the two will keep going.

November 2023