Yours Sincerely
Haruomi Hosono
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What caught my attention of this album was its cover. My first impression was expecting singer-songwriter music made by a man revisiting the music scene after being away for some time. I expected grounded folk music reflecting a past life. I wasn’t too far off but I also was not prepared for what was to come. Haruomi Hosono gives us Yours Sincerely, an album filled with a deep theology on motherhood and how we are all content of creation.
To start us off, we have “Note of Mothership”. Already I’m lost and confused. It begins with lullaby-like bells that will be heard throughout the entirety of the album. Which is nice, it gives a homely feeling as we hear various chants of “we are mothers” from groups of children, women, and even aliens… I was a bit lost my first few listens. I was able to grasp at an idea on what he was trying to portray though. We are mothers, in a sense that we are all capable of creation and too are the byproduct of creation. Where there is creation, there is chaos. For there to be order, there must first be disorder. There is a video to go along with this track and it helps create a visual understanding. While it loops the same few scenes; the repeating message stays the same. There are these objects that break into other creations. One quick snip shows a singular water droplet (the source of life) morph into a fetus and develop into an adult before returning to the water. Its some pretty intense stuff but the overwhelming message is that we, and everything, are of the same energy. And that energy is transferred as we create not only life, but technology too. Mother Earth is our source of energy and we take some when we are born and we take more as we create and alter the world around us. It's some pretty intense imagery.
The next two tracks help give support that maternal vibe: “Sincerely” and “Ayurveda”.
“Sincerely” is Hosono’s rendition of the Moonglows’ original song all the way back from 1954. What’s great about Hosono’s is that he strips it down to an acoustic guitar with the continued support of those lullaby bells and his voice. He also adds some Japanese lyrics to give it a personal touch. What was originally a love song to someone close has now become a note of a maternal love. Like what a parent would say to their child. You can feel a more sincere feeling with this track. It's slow and each strum off the guitar is filled with affection and love. It was that groundedness I was hoping for before the start of the album. This song was everything I wanted out of Yours Sincerely.
“Ayurveda” feels like a continuation of that maternal love, only in a more playful way. Theres a joyful jaunt, like a child running through a park while they’re being chased by their mother. It's grounded yet lighter in a playful way. It's great because the following track takes away any lighthearted reminiscing thought you might’ve been having.
“M for Mandala” scares me. Its unsettling and takes away from the message that was developing from the last few tracks. It’s far too abstract and I'm not really sure what was the point of it all. He list words that start with ‘M’ and that’s really it. It’s like we spent too much time in a dream and everything is not making sense anymore. I don’t like it.
“To A Wild Rose” deserves a quick shoutout. Its simplicity makes it standout from everything else. I like how it serves as a more worded interpretation on the album rather than whimsical instruments to portray a feeling or idea. A woman’s soft voice appreciating the beauty of the world and taking in the sounds of a beach really captures the theme of the Yours Sincerely.
Yours Sincerely wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for. But I still got a little bit of what I needed out of it. The concept of being creators and creations in a wonderful take and is prominent throughout the album. You definitely get a sense of wonder and adolescence with a small handful of tracks and a big part of me wish that he leaned further into that rather than its abstract and eerie side.
Score: 5.7
Highlights:
Sincerely
Humming “Dream of Love”
Figlio Perduto
[review-footer]
Highlights
Sincerely
Humming “Dream of Love”
Figlio Perduto
Tracklist
Note of Mothership
Sincerely
Ayurveda
M for Mandala
Rojiura (Walking Vibration)
Happy Holiday
To a Wild Rose
Humming “Dream of Love”
Figlio Perduto
Anemo Wheel
