The Not So Boring EP of Eiko Ishibashi

Japanese born Eiko Ishibashi began her career as a drummer, then evolved into a multi-instrumentalist.  Her latest EP, Car and Freezer, doesn’t exactly sit in any one type of genre— it’s pretty much an experimental and jazzy jam session.  The song is also half in Japanese and half in English, but you almost can’t tell with the piano and that’s not a bad thing.

It almost seems that the English songs on the album are the saddest of the bunch.  The handful of tracks in Japanese have way more of a pep in their step.  “Boring Stories” is anything but.  It’s a great light-hearted sounding track that breaks into the jazz feel.  It’s not until the strings come in at the chorus with their distortion that the track veers from boring.  Over Ishibashi’s light soprano voice and the ostinato piano chords, the strings take the song on a ride that doesn’t seem expected.

“Borderline In Shadow” is pretty much a percussionist’s dream; from the beginning to the end, the marimba sounds continue in a frenzied rush under everything else.  Ishibashi sings on top in a staccato style that plays in contrast to everything else going on.  As the chaos dies down, the six-minute long trip fades into a John Cage-like piano heavy transition.  The dissonance between the chords overtakes the marimba and creates a sound that immediately jumps into a more modern time.

The entire EP is pretty much an experiment in musicianship.  There’s always a surprising sound coming from somewhere.  Be it the funky feel from “My Little Princess” and “Lap Top Blues” to the slowed down “Part Of Your World.”  Toss in a little jazz violin, a walking bass line, and the lightness that is Ishibashi’s vocals and there are still no words for what has just taken place.  The only thing that is known is that it’s not boring and it definitely warrants a listen to experience.