Sir Vanity pushes their boundaries further, bringing one of the jazziest and loungiest EPs to date with the mature “Latitude”.
Sir Vanity consists of Yoshiki Nakajima (vocals and guitar), Yuichiro Umehara (vocals and guitar), Arte Refact’s Satoru Kuwabara (on bass), and taisei (VJ & Creative Director).
Review
Title: Latitude
Release date: 22/01/2025
Label: Vanity Records
Genre: Rock/Jazz-rock/Acoustic
Tracklist:
1 - to start over (lyrics by Yoshiki Nakajima)
2 - ポイント・ネモ (lyrics by Yuichiro Umehara)
3 - 御免あそばせ (lyrics by Yuichiro Umehara)
4 - らしくないかもな (lyrics by Yoshiki Nakajima)
5 - home (lyrics by Taisei)
Track by track analysis:
1 – to start over
Sir Vanity kicks off strongly with “to start over”. The song kicks off with an addictive guitar melody, opening the curtains to the bassy drums, fancy piano melodies and deep bassline.
One thing you will love right away – especially if you’re wearing headphones – is the panning in the mix made to each electric guitar. You have Yoshiki Nakajima and Yuichiro Umehara’s guitars, one to your left and another to your right.
When the chorus arrives, the energy and groove is there, making want to sing along at the same as you groove along with the relentlessly melodic bassline driving forward this song.
The bridge is a thing of beauty so I won’t spoil it for you, just let the song arrive at that part and enjoy it.
As far as the vocals go, Nakajima and Umehara are overflowing with energy and you can’t help but be excited about the song because of the way they’re performing – individually or in the unison parts within the chorus.
2 – ポイント・ネモ (Point Nemo)
Bring in the groovy, jazzy and funky vibes to “Point Nemo”. This is a song with strong acid-jazz vibes – reminding me a lot about SID’s work from the early 00s.
The guitars play in a staccato style in the verses with brief riffs embellishing the soundscape playing to your far left and right ears. The bassline is quite dirty and punchy, giving an extra edge to the drums.
When it comes to the guitar solo, while brief, it is the perfect tension reliever following the section it is building up from. As you get into the final chorus, you will find yourself jamming to this song – and if you’re like me, bobbing your head along to this song and its groovy, and slightly mysterious main melody.
And what a beauty is the outro to this song, expanding on everything delivered up until then but letting the guitar go for a long melodic solo as it wraps up.
3 – 御免あそばせ (Gomen Asobase)
“Gomen Asobase” brings funky guitar work alongside a jaunty, staccato piano melody alongside a comfortable beat and deep bassline.
The verses are groovy and will almost instantly make you want to dance along to them. However, get ready for the chorus because this one is addictive as hell! The bassline is relentless, leading the way as the guitars scream to your sides and the trumpets and piano jazz up the soundscape. The energy in this part is particularly infectious.
The bridge features a bass solo that will leave you craving more and more, going low as the synth plays in the background, giving a retro touch to this performance.
When it comes to the vocals, expect harmonies, fancy unisons and plenty of falsetto, all in a performance that makes this song, instantly the best one in this EP.
4 – らしくないかもな (Rashikunai kamo na)
A youthful guitar riff leads the way in “Rashikunai kamo na”, song that brings a nostalgic, indie-rock vibe to the spotlight.
The verses bring a melancholic piano melody to the background as the guitars contrast it with a hopeful, thankful tone. The drums are simple and very much snare-driven, keeping this in tone with the youthful indie-rock sound in this song.
The chorus is a lot of fun, and I can imagine it being a fantastic song to make the audience sing along to. It has that vibe.
This is an extra detail, but I love how beautiful the bridge is, with Yoshiki Nakajima singing accompanied solely by a piano melody. This, leading up to Yuichiro Umehara’s falsetto, is a big highlight in the song.
5 – home
And wrapping up this EP is “home”. The tone is loungy with a slow, minimal bass drum and hi-hat melody (paired with a clap track) to create a cozy soundscape in which you’ll feel immersed in no time.
The guitars are slow, melodic, with hints of blues in them as the bass carefully and deeply trails its way through the track. A rhodes piano completes this loungy soundscape, making me close my eyes and just enjoy it.
And the truth is, when it comes to the melodic guitar solo in the bridge, you’ll have a massive smile on your face – that is, if the falsetto and harmonies by Yoshiki Nakajima and Yuichiro Umehara weren’t enough to do that to you.
“home” is such a soft, gentle and intimate song, quite the contrast to the other tracks in this release, but it is the perfect ending.
Final considerations
Sir Vanity. How much did I miss these guys? Another EP, another set of eclectic songs – showcasing their versatility – with plenty of style and quality to boot.
There is plenty of jazz-rock with funk influences, loungy tunes, nostalgia-inducing songs and a whole lot of talent in full display.
While all the songs have their plus points, I have to say that “Gomen Asobase” and “home” are my groove. Fun, funky songs with a mesmerizing soundscape, plenty of little geeky details going on in the bassline as well as the vocals.
And speaking of the vocals? The cohesion in Sir Vanity keeps on improving. We have several instances in which Yoshiki Nakajima is belting and Yuichiro Umehara not only can keep up with it, but he also ends up sounding better in comparison. This is something I’ve been enjoying a whole lot seeing, especially as Umehara is a baritone and is already comfortably belting the things Nakajima – a tenor – usually can do without breaking a sweat.
Awesome stuff on the vocals, engaging lyrics – props to Nakajima, Umehara and Taisei – and a set of relentless bass-driven songs – thanks to the genius of Kuwabara – fill “Latitude” in a way I was not expecting.
Sir Vanity’s “Latitude” has easily entered the list of best albums in 2025.
