ZIN - CURVE
CURVE is the first full-length album from singer-songwriter ZIN, and though we have always enjoyed his soulful, impassioned singing and keen sense of groove, CURVE is where it all comes together in an outpouring of emotion over personal heartbreak, resulting in a deep and incredibly moving work.
Though we have no idea of the details or circumstances of his past relationships, their ghosts lurk behind almost every song on CURVE. However, this is not a revenge album by any means, it isn’t something to be played back for catharsis or rage as a way of getting over it. On the contrary, it reveals ZIN’s personality in the way that he loves, he is obsessive, desperate, and intense, which gets him into trouble by chasing people who aren’t good for him long term, and he’s the one who gets deeply hurt and confused as a result. He’s looking for love, and when he finds someone he’s hooked, unable to let go. He sees them even when he’s dreaming, he wants to run away but he can’t (Midnight Run), he wants to be the one who loves them the most (Complex), he wants them so bad he’ll give his whole life (Contagious). It’s quite destructive and probably unhealthy, but this is the stuff great albums are made of - by tortured artists.
In various ways, he sings about the love/hate dichotomy, not just about his (ex)partner but also himself, with lines like “Every morning I wake up next to you baby, hating myself but I can’t help it” (Carved in Stone), and “I don’t need I don’t need you but I want you” (Jaded). It’s like he knows that he’s on the path to ruin but somehow can’t help it. Indeed, the end does come, he’s a wreck drowning his sorrow in alcohol, declaring he wants to live without his lover, and swearing to never sing a song about them again. We don’t know if there are several people involved, but it’s a repeated pattern of love and destruction. As a singer, it’s really brave how honest he writes, you really feel for him and it makes you wonder if the objects of his affection were meant to know his pain and anguish in this way.
As someone who is fueled by this kind of passion, naturally his singing is warm and expressive, sensual yet delicate. By employing falsetto he has a great range, but it never sounds forced or weak, and his unique melodies make great use of it, from low to high registers and back down, particularly on “A Long Way”. Most of all, there’s a real vulnerability in his voice, and it makes all the tragic stories believable and authentic - this really happened. “If I Lose” is a real highlight, this is about the real possibility of losing someone close, but can also be interpreted as a farewell to loved ones who have passed on, and his tender singing keeps the song from feeling cliched, in fact, it’s so moving it might bring you to tears, such is his talent.
As this is such a personal album, the production from the likes of Mori Zentaro, TiMT, and FKD is perfectly complementary, never trying to steal the show. The sounds are mostly organic, there’s no evidence of following trends or use of gimmicks, keeping the focus squarely on ZIN. That’s not to say the production is boring or plain, there are plenty of interesting details in the guitar flourishes and keyboard play, and the trumpet (If I Lose) and cello (綻び) solos are highlights on their respective songs. This is probably a testament to the skill of the producers, because it’s a lot harder to be subtle than piling on the sounds and tracks. You can’t even pin down the genre of the songs, there are elements of soul, R&B, jazz, pop, and hip hop. Also, by design, the structure of the songs doesn’t fall neatly into the typical J-pop pattern of verse-chorus verse-chorus bridge-chorus. As a result, you can listen to CURVE over and over without getting fatigued or bored.
The key concept behind CURVE is the word itself, curves are beautiful and organic, they’re difficult to grasp. They have subtle gradations and never have just one interpretation. Nothing can be taken as is, “they’re all curved like he said” (Endpaper). It reflects ZIN’s experience, a rise into joy and fall into despair, led down this path by his natural feelings and character. The album even comes full circle, from the first encounter to the destructive ruin (literally, the meaning of the last track title 綻び), only to start again. That makes it easy to just fall into a loop of repeated listening, and I myself have lost count of how many times I’ve listened to this album in full. Achingly sweet and beautiful in its tragedy, expertly performed and produced, ZIN’s CURVE is real, and it’s spectacular.
Tokyo ON also recommends - SIRUP - Cure