This approach is largely justified the songwriting here is simple but effective and there’s a slew of good hooks to carry things along. The other songs are more colourful and pop-tinged, but seem to be directed more towards spotlighting her vocals than augmenting them into something more. The general style here tends far more towards hip-hop than Shura’s rock/noise-pop hybrid, especially in opener Kuuki Ningyou, which opts for such a starchy atmosphere and firm focus on Nemuri’s rap that it’s hard to believe that the beat only comes in. On the other hand, it’s not completely fair to weigh this EP up against its towering successor, as it does touch on aspects to which Haru to Shura paid less attention. There’s a perfectly reasonable argument that since these songs and arrangements aren’t quite as forceful as those on Haru to Shura, a slightly toned-down vocal approach is appropriate, but since that raw forcefulness is what makes Haru Nemuri so powerful at his best, her otherwise solid performance here is still symptomatic of what this EP is lacking. This extends to her vocal performance too by anyone’s standards she’s peppy and personable here, but it’s clear that she hadn’t quite caught fire in the way she would a year on. This sentiment is aptly reflected in SAYONARA BABY PINK’s chorus mantra “Boku wa boku ni naritai” (I want to be myself) this EP provides a pretty clear overview of who Haru Nemuri is and what she’s about, but it showcases her potential rather than its realisation. ![]() There’s nothing wrong with this per se, but having seen how colossal the scope in this sound turned out to be, it’s difficult not to see Atom Heart Mother as much more than the sound of an artist who had more or less found her feet but was still refining her style. Take, for example, Inochi ni Natte (Bring Me To Life), which stands as Atom Heart Mother’s mission statement in the same way that the incredible one-line anthem Narashite (Cry Out) did for Haru to Shura: the track features the same kind of repetitive piano hook that feels characteristic of Nemuri’s writing at this point, but rather than explode into the flurry of passion that Narashite or tracks of its ilk did, it plays out more as a neat upbeat pop song with an endearing note of aspiration. In many ways, this release sounds exactly like a listener only familiar with Haru to Shura might expect it to: while assured in her lyrics, vocal presence and general tone of urgency and excitement, this version of Haru Nemuri was less certain of her instrumental style and not quite ready to hit the same unbelievable highs as she would on her debut full-length. Take a step back, however, and it would do well to remember that Haru to Shura’s hype didn’t actually come out of nowhere and there was a scene tuned into her pre-2018 this bring us to her 2017 EP Atom Heart Mother. ![]() It never skipped a beat and the energy behind her performance came across so clearly that it was difficult not be swept away by virtually any given moment. The album’s warm, wall-of-sound production coupled with Nemuri’s passionate stream-of-consciousness vocal style and occasional well-documented screams. Haru Nemuri’s 2018 album Haru to Shura was a powerhouse release that generated a rare level of cross-genre hype and gave her the platform for an unexpected but well-earned international breakthrough. Listen above.Review Summary: Haru Nemuri's pre-breakthrough EP shows her gaining momentum but not quite hitting lift-off I think a lot more artists are going to be doing the same in the near future. A lot of modern touches appear, but Harunemuri still manages to get her own personality through. Not to get too comparison heavy, but it’s a bridge between Izumi Makura and Oomori Seiko. ![]() Yet then she barrels into the chorus, where she ramps up the intensity, approaching a shout. As mentioned, Harunemuri’s most defining characteristic is how she sings, in a rap-crashing-with-sing-song style bringing to mind Daoko or - especially over the zippy piano lines here - KOM_I of Suiyoubi No Campanella. What’s striking about that album and now new song “Yume Wo Miyou” (off her full-length debut out next month) is how a lot of trends bubbling up in J-pop over the last few years collide here. She has creative and left-field-ready ideas for days, though the album could use a little tightening up, but if Daoko’s ascension to J-pop limelight left you letdown, that album should soothe the pain. ![]() Last year’s Atom Heart Mother (really!!) offered a great introduction into what she’s all about, placing her rap-sing delivery in the spotlight against a mix of wonky beats and one instance of what sounds like an attempt at recreating Gesu No Kiwami Otome. Harunemuri doesn’t represent a new standard in Japanese pop music, but she does point towards a direction where a lot of things are starting to go.
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