My Little Lover - Labyrinth (J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)
May 13, 2008 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
“My Little Lover’s “LABYRINTH” CD single conveys sadness and emerging from the darkness and showing us the strength of Akko as a songwriter. “
GROUP: My Little Lover
CD SINGLE: Labyrinth
LABEL: avex trax
CATALOG #: AVCD-31389/B
RELEASED ON March 12, 2008
- Labyrinth
- sunday morning
- Labyrinth (Instrumental)
- sunday morning (Instrumental)
DVD: Region 2, 4:3, Duration: 4 minutes
- Labyrinth (music video)
I am very fond when it comes to the music of My Little Lover and when we interviewed her in 2007 and pretty much confirmed on the inspirations of Akko’s lyrics, with the release of “Labyrinth”, I sensed sadness in her music.
With her divorce from My Little Lover producer and partner, Kobayashi Takashi, I often wondered what would happen to My Little Lover as a group.
Fortunately, Akko and My Little Lover has continued. Even continuing her musical collaboration with Kobayashi who was responsible for the music and arrangement of the main track “Labyrinth”.
Both “Labyrinth” and its coupling song “sunday morning” are rather sad tracks but showing how one can overcome the challenges and come out of the darkness to the light.
“Labyrinth” has a similar feel to their hit song “NOW & THEN” and another track which Kobayashi lends his musical talent on keyboards. The song has a beautiful arrangement as the piano and acoustic guitar play a major part of the song but it’s Akko’s vocals and the emotion you feel behind the words of the lyrics.
“sunday morning” is an electric guitar driven slow-tempo song which just feels sad when listening to the song.
I would think that when Akko wrote these songs, this was her expressing that part of her life at that time of the divorce. especially how the accompanying “Labyrinth” music video featured Akko stuck in her bed and not wanting to get up but eventually finding the strength to get out of bed and become the vibrant and happy person that she is.
Eventually, finding the will to get up and a depiction of a red string which usually connects two lovers, the red string connects her to a key and the key leads her directly to her diary.
Of course, the interpretation of the “Labyrinth” music video is my perspective on it, but this is how I interpreted it.
I also want to mention that when I watched Akko in this music video, she exhibited the beauty and spunkiness of how she was back in the mid-90’s with “Man & Woman” and looks incredible now as she did then.
The CD insert is a standard bi-fold with lyrics on one end and nothing on the other side but a metallic bluish, gray solid color. Included is a mini-flyer promoting My Little Lover’s Anniversary live at CC Lemon Hall.
With My Little Lover celebrating their upcoming anniversary live performance on May 1st at CC Lemon Hall which was in conjunction of the new album release of “Identity”, My Little Lover is definitely here to stay.
Akko has proven in 2007 that even if it’s just her, as a remaining member of My Little Lover, like Sakai Izumi continued with the bands name despite being more of a solo act, I think the same will continue with Akko and My Little Lover and the musical style that the group is known for, will still continue.
Both songs on this “Labyrinth” CD single emits the melancholy of things that may have transpired in Akko’s life but in the My Little Lover sense of beautifully created music is still present.
Akko does a great job as a songwriter and with her distinctive voice, My Little Lover fans can still feel at ease that she and My Little Lover will continue to produce great music.
Buy this CD Single
