Matsushita Nao - Moonshine~tsukiakari~
Posted in Japanese Singles | Tagged as: Matsushita Nao
Tracklist
1. Moonshine~tsukiakari~
2. Sleepwalker
3. Moonshine~tsukiakari~ -Instrumental-
4. Sleepwalker -Instrumental-
You may recognize Matsushita Nao as an actress, not a musician or vocalist. She played the part of singer-songwriter Tachibana Asami in the Japanese drama Taiyou no Uta, who was a talented pianist. I was somewhat surprised to hear that Matsushita Nao is actually a gifted pianist. In fact, she has already released once instrumental album called dolce. However, Moonshine~tsukiakari~ is her first single and her vocal debut. It was released on July 11, 2007.
Moonshine~tsukiakari~ has a lovely arrangement featuring, of course, piano. It’s a ballad that starts off sounding tragic, but turns into an uplifting melody by the chorus. Mastushita Nao’s voice is not the most strong or powerful, but it has a soft, lovely quality to it. And she can really hit the high notes. The bridge is my favorite part of the song and I love all the piano runs in the arrangement.
Sleepwalker is another ballad, but with a more lounge-y feeling, especially with the snapping and percussion. It has a faster tempo and utilizes strings. The verses are soft and more relaxed, but everything comes in in the chorus. I like the ending, about the last minute or so, the most with the extra background vocals and the full arrangement.
Okay, so Mastushita Nao’s not on her way to becoming the next big pop sensation, but her songs have gorgeous arrangements and her vocals are quite good. I wonder if she’ll ever write a rock song or play around with electronica. And I really want to hear the full version of ‘Wish,’ the song she sang in the Taiyou no Uta dorama.