Band Spotlight: Lamp

Lamp is a Japanese band formed in the 2000’s. There are three band members in total, Taiyo Someya, Yusuke Nagai, and Kaori Sakakibara. The band is heavily influenced by 60’s and 70’s western music, particularly The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and Simon and Garfunkel. They rose to success in Japan most known for their indie rock sound. In total they have put out 8 albums over the span of their careers. Lamp has a unique sound, described as ethereal and hazy, while also being described as controlled experimental music. They as a band have been able to fit seamlessly into the Japanese pop aesthetic while remaining somewhat underground and undiscovered in the West. Arguably one of their most notable albums would be their album Lamp Genso, ランプ幻想 (2008). It features many popular songs of theirs including their most streamed song, “Yume Utsutsu” or ゆめうつつ. The song is light and airy, full of wistful melancholic notes. While the lyrics are in Japanese, the listener can find themself zoning out and focusing entirely on the pure beauty of the female voice ebbing in and out of their ears.

A personal song I would recommend that is not featured on their topmost listened to tracks would be off the album “Yume” or ゆめ. In general, I would just recommend the album itself as one of their best, simply due to the huge mix of different sounds present within the album, and the overall number of individual stand-alone songs that make up the album as a whole. I would recommend the third track on the album, “ため息の行方. The song is wistful and wakes up the inherent inner longing humans possess for an escape from the endless cycle. It encourages nostalgic dreaming, and the imagery from the sound alone is seductive to one’s imagination. Overall, this band is 100% worth checking out.