[review 2006: the honourable mentions]

Since the dissolution of Cibo Matto in 2001, Miho Hatori has been on a bit of a journey. Between a bossa nova excursion as one half of Smokey & Miho and a guest spot on the Gorillaz’s first album, Hatori has kept making music, though with a much lower profile. Notably, while her Cibo Matto partner Yuka Honda put out two solo albums, Hatori remained silent on the recording front until recently. Released over a year ago in Japan, Ecdysis has only made it across the Atlantic recently—a strange twist, considering Hatori has lived in New York for over a decade and has largely collaborated with American musicians. (To be pedantic: yes, technically this means Ecdysis shouldn’t be on this list, as it’s a 2005 release. For the two of you that care, I hope you’ll forgive me.)

From the opening track it’s clear this isn’t your usual indie album; more than anything else I heard this year, Ecdysis sounds genuinely exotic. It’s an organic, intimate affair, slightly reminiscent of some of the quieter moments on early Bjork albums. In fact, if you put “Human Behavior” and “Headphones,” you might start to get an idea of what Ecdysis is all about. The first three tracks set a relaxed pace and a chill vibe that carries through the whole album, even when the beats pick up slightly on standout tracks like “Barracuda” and “Sweet Samsara Part II.” For the most part Ecdysis is content to lull you with its low-key nocturnal lullabies.

If there’s a downside, it’s that none of the songs are absolute stunners, though each one is pretty good. But really, to concentrate on single songs is to lose the forest for the trees; the impact of any single track is nothing compared to the lush, inviting soundscape you enter whenever you put on this album. For forty minutes you can be somewhere completely different from your usual existence; Ecdysis is an album that rewards the wanderlust of your imagination.