While with MOMOCURLY’s Candy a reference was made to the start of Spring, the duo’s first album entitled Cosmic Lips can be seen to be a perfectly fitting ending to a hot summer day. If you like jazzy influences and refreshing tones in pop songs, you’ve come to the right place at MOMOCURLY.
MOMOCURLY consists of singer and pianist Momo Otani from Tokyo and guitarist Christophe Pannekoucke from Paris who have been trying to capture Japanese and European sounds in their music since 2018.
The album kicks off with the song that attracted the attention through the music video that was shared by MOMOCURLY in February. The tone is set for the album. From beginning to end, the enjoyment is breathtaking and immediately a balcony or garden scene can be imagined, where, after a long hot summertime day, people look forward to the setting sun while enjoying a nice drink and a snack. The soft and airy voice of Momo Otani, makes one think that we are listening to dreamy jazz that almost takes the step to dream pop.
Notable tracks from the album include And why, where that, an instrumental track, but also the title track where a set of words is thrown in the repetition. After a while the song becomes hypnotic. It comes back for a bit in Kyun Kyun, which is otherwise an instrumental song, but it makes it stick in the head. After the tempo has increased a bit, it’s time for some cooling down by the last two tracks on the album. Jazz trumpeter Niran Dasika gives with his solo on the ninth track the confirmation that MOMOCURLY is not just a pop duo with these jazz influences. With the inclusion of English, Japanese and French languages in the lyrics, it makes it more accessible for those who are open to other languages.
In the meantime, the album is out on CD and cassette tape, but also available digitally. Furthermore, the duo has been releasing cover songs, while they are in Japan, definitely worth listening to.
Rating: 80/100
Tracklist:
1. Candy
2. Me and You
3. And why, where that
4. Letter from Freddy
5. End of the world
6. Cosmic Lips
7. Happy Girl (feat. Mariko Otani)
8. Kyun Kyun
9. Look up the bright side (feat. Niran Dasika)
10. Life only live once (feat. Mariko Otani)
