Help Ever Hurt Never
Fujii Kaze
genre: pop/ r&b • release date: 2020
Fujii Kaze’s Help Ever Hurt Never is an essential pop album. with some minor drawbacks, the album is Fujii Kaze’s best offering to date, and an evergreen work to boot. framed by deep introspection, Help Ever Hurt Never attempts to access deep and fluid emotion, mostly to great success. even without knowledge of the Japanese language, his music has a way of communicating beyond simple lyrics.
there are quite a few songs within the album that manage to elevate beyond the language barrier. it is through powerful performances of aching and pain specifically that reach out to me through the experience. not the kind of aching and pain that are one-to-one with despair, but the kind that is often tied together with personal discovery and hope. in particular, it is Kaze’s ability in singing that sells the effort so well. his ability to control his output with fine detail grants his music a beautiful quality. it is here that Help Ever Hurt Never takes flight. its not that each of the other songs, such as “SAYONARA Baby” and “xxx”, are poor offerings, but they fail to engage with this feeling of the album. it is when Kaze swims in this pain that the album really finds its value.
in my experience, pop is so easily and often disregarded, but it is albums like Help Ever Hurt Never that are some of the strongest modern representations of the genre. especially when pop takes the time and the bravery to explore the darker and more complex topics in our humanity. in this breath, Help Ever Hurt Never not only delivers a powerful pop experience, but also an enticing one. with its themes of struggle and hope within the realms of love and self, the album becomes a much needed avenue of exhaust. a way to express one’s self in these complex ways and intricate ways, without necessarily needing do so legibly.
beyond this, i find the album to be quite engaging on a compositional level. it feels so tightly produced that it feels like a full experience. one of my favorite aspects of pop music. the album leaves little to no space for questioning in its ability. every decibel, chime and beat are well placed and satisfying to hear. while i would be content for this as the pillar of the experience, i specifically want to regard Kaze’s voice work. not only does he feel like the centerpiece of the work, but a well deserved one. his singing in “YASASHISA” is my favorite part of the album. his long and constantly rising chorus is an addicting sound. as the song slowly burns itself through, he remains the highlight that has had me coming back for months. the production is a clean mix of sparse piano and electronic beat, yet it feel like dressing without Kaze. like a balloon without the air. i find this reliance on Kaze’s vocals to be a surprising vote of confidence in the artist. where the pop usually outpaces the performer, here it is the performer that the music leans on.
the album manages to cover quite a few bases along the way. “Kiri Ga Naikara” is induced by a powerful beat driving the song through electronic affects. it feels both dark and gritty, a bit sexy, but it never dives too far down. Kaze’s vocals keep the song on track while the under-beat accentuates his place. not pulling him down, but showing his heavenly position over the murkiness. “Cho si Noccha Te” has a wonderful bit of natural instrumentation with standing bass and piano, giving the song a late-night lounge feel. again, the composition creating a strong atmosphere, the story and the heart of the song told by Kaze. “Kaerou” encapsulates the album in full on the way out. in the beginning a humble rendition, Kaze drives it from a quiet place with force and determination. the gain in elevation is almost breathtaking, like falling upward. already by mid-song, a breakthrough happens, through the clouds, into a sunscape. the remainder only maintains and lifts up higher, with each skyward lift in Kaze’s vocals, the song fills out more and more. a strong emotional uplifting, that maybe only Kaze can do himself. one i’m enthralled to hear ever visit.
it’s not that every song on Help Ever Hurt Never are quite my pace, but what does land, REALLY lands for me. and when the album really lands, it captures a space in pop music i find only this album can reach. for that alone, i think the album and the experience a vital piece of work, no matter the flaws. and as a connoisseur of pop music, that means quite a lot to me. on my shelf of important pop pieces, each one worth visiting for different reason, Help Ever Hurt Never is another addition. which is about the best praise i can give for an album, no matter the score.
written by
Marcus Landeros
- highlights -
Nan-Nan 「何なん」
Mo-Eh-Wa 「もうええわ」
Yasashisa 「優しさ」
Kiri ga Naikara 「キリがないから」
Kaerou 「帰ろう」
track list:
Nan-Nan 「何なん」
Mo-Eh-Wa 「もうええわ」
Yasashisa 「優しさ」
Kiri ga Naikara 「キリがないから」
Tsumi no Kaori 「罪の香り」
Chōshi Nocchatte 「調子のっちゃって」
Tokuninai 「特にない」
Shinunoga E-Wa 「死ぬのがいいわ」
Kaze yo 「風よ」
Sayonara Baby 「さよならべいべ」
Kaerou 「帰ろう」
