Album Review: Hochono House - Haruomi Hosono

For the second installment in my album review series, I want to cover Hochono House. This is truly a one of a kind album, and I've never heard anything else quite like it. For some background, this was released in 2019 by Haruomi Hosono, a Japanese pop legend. Hosono is best known for his work in the late 70's and early 80's that inspired city pop and japanese folk and rock. Hochono House is a tour through Hosono's diverse influences and pulls from all the styles he visited throughout his long career. Despite covering sounds ranging from electronic to psychedelic to folksy, this album manages to retain a coherent identity. It feels like a sonic journey through Hosono's life and work, and offers a distinctly nostalgic flavor without ever feeling tired or recycled.

This album has some absolutely phenomenal wurlitzer parts, paired neatly with vintage electronic tones, drum machine beats, city pop basslines, and occasional live drums. Hosono's smooth, folksy voice ties it all together with gentle, yet upbeat, vocal lines. I highly recommend Hochono House to any fans of off-beat production or 80's pop.

Rating: 5/5
Standout tracks: Listen to it all! This album is best-consumed all at once.