A Bright Day

A bright day.

Japanese pop band advantage Lucy's new album, Echo Park, is out.


It was a cool, overcast autumn morning, but the sun came out as I turned the corner toward Tower Records Shibuya, listening to Lucy's new song "Glider" on my iPod. I entered the store and walked to the second floor, the Japanese music floor.

There the new Lucy CDs were, in Tower Records' Japanese indies music section, where I've spent much time in the past few years. I bought several copies of the new album: one for myself, and the rest for friends.

I'd heard some stores started selling Echo Park yesterday, but I decided to wait until today, the official release date, to buy the album, so I could follow a sort of plan of action I made for myself on how to spend the day when the album comes out.

I would buy the album soon after the record store opens. Then I'd walk over to Yoyogi Park, find a comfortable bench, and listen to the CD under the sky, surrounded by trees. And then I'd go home and spend the rest of the day floating in the new songs by my favorite Japanese band. Which is what I did.

I shared the park with the crows that rule Tokyo parks, their cawing heard between songs on my headphone, and with people out exercising and painting sceneries.

I'll write more about the album later, after I've absorbed it more, but let me just say for now: it's fantastic! Every song is great, the album feels nearly flawless. That combination of elegance and passion in their music that grips listeners and makes them into fervent fans is still there, maybe more than ever.

The four years' wait was worth it.

Now back to floating around Echo Park...