Review | Makoto Furukawa "Honjitsu Mo Makoto Ni Seiten Nari"

Makoto Furukawa goes for a bewitching performance in “Honjitsu mo Makoto ni Seiten nari“.

Makoto Furukawa Honjitsu mo Makoto ni Seiten nari regular

Title: 本日モ誠ニ晴天也 (Honjitsu mo Makoto ni Seiten nari)
Label: Lantis
Release date: 29/07/2020
Genre: Jazz / Latin-Jazz

Tracklist:

1 - 本日モ誠ニ晴天也
2 - パトスのカタチ
3 - 本日モ誠ニ晴天也 -Instrumental-
4 - パトスのカタチ -Instrumental-

Track by track analysis:

1 – 本日モ誠ニ晴天也

Dimly lit lights paint a classy and exclusive atmosphere inside of the classy jazz club you’re transported into for Honjitsu mo Makoto ni Seiten nari.

On stage, a jazz band gives life to a danceable and alluring atmosphere through playful brass melodies, a groovy contrabass/bass duo, accordion, bluesy guitar riffs, and upbeat drums that make the song go by in a flash.

The verses flow in classic be-bop jazz fashion but counting with slower-paced sections in which cheeky piano melodies add another layer of fun and allure to this song. A nice touch by the drums, including jazz brushes, further contributing to the bright and open jazz sound in this track.

Honjitsu mo Makoto ni Seiten nari’s beat is infectious and, when you reach the chorus, you are long gone to dance along to it.

There are a wide variety of ways to incorporate sax in a song, especially in a jazz song, some make the song enhance its classy tone, others focus on fleshing out the allure in the track, and in other cases, you can have it added for another layer of fun.

In Honjitsu mo Makoto ni Seiten nari, the sax makes its entrance in the bridge with an outstanding solo riding on a lot of tension, making the best of the song’s mix of class with allure.

A pity that the solo is brief though, the jazz geek in me wanted another bar of similar length, making the solo longer and exploring a bit more the sax’s colors.

As it is, this solo is the perfect addition to the song.

Wrapping up the song, the listener is presented with a fancy bluesy guitar solo that steals the spotlight from the instrumental.

Makoto Furukawa is in his element for this song, delivering a charismatic and confident performance filled with flair and a whole lot of his alluring vibrato.

2 – パトスのカタチ

Makoto Furukawa pens the lyrics to the b-side in this release, Pathos no Katachi.

Pathos no Katachi adds another layer of allure to this single, bringing to the spotlight Latin instrumentalization and influences on top of his, already, colorful jazz sound.

The verses count with a seductive bassline and passionate acoustic guitar melodies played in Flamenco style as well as bongos and cajon complementing the bassy drums in the percussion department.

An accordion and piano add flair to this track, further fleshing out the song and leaning a lot towards Latin-Jazz, especially, tango-congo style of music.

This is a more danceable brand of jazz that fits Makoto Furukawa’s vocals like a glove.

His performance is addictive and bewitching, melding with the warm Latin-inspired rhythms with his urgent, passionate, vibrato, and consistent mid-toned vocals.

Final considerations

Makoto Furukawa is in top form in Honjitsu mo Makoto ni Seiten nari.

This is a really robust single, overflowing with highlights and exuding a classic seductive vibe in his jazz sound and performances that is impossible to not notice, and not be drawn to.

Honjitsu mo Makoto ni Seiten nari mixes jazz with blues and Latin, tango-inspired music and delivers one of the most exciting and groovy auditory experiences I’ve had this year reviewing music by seiyuu.

The soundscape created is absolutely perfect for jazz fans: it is intimate, it flaunts its class and carries itself with a lot of flair. This is really one of those songs in which you are completely taken into the soundscape, especially due to how well and vividly it was crafted.

Those subtle Latin influences in the title track carried over to Pathos no Katachi and flourished into a full-fledged tango-congo song.

This is still a bright, exciting and classy song, but a bit of that intimate vibe in the previous track is replaced by the playful, more open nature of the Latin-inspired instrumental.

It is the first time that Makoto Furukawa goes this passionate, seductive route for his music and I can only say that I wanted more and could listen to hours and hours of it and not get tired of it.

All in all, Makoto Furukawa’s Honjitsu mo Makoto ni Seiten nari is a strong candidate for single of the year, at least in my books.

Consistent throughout, embracing and improving his unique and fresh brand of Jazz and with Makoto Furukawa’s charisma shining without stopping, Honjitsu mo Makoto ni Seiten nari is a must listen.

Honjitsu mo Makoto ni Seiten nari is available for purchase at CDJAPAN.