Naive Super - NWOAOR

NWOAOR is the second EP by Naive Super released on vinyl as part of the 5th year anniversary of Adult Oriented Records boutique and label. Named as a little homage to NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal), NWOAOR stands for “New Wave Of Adult Oriented Rock” and it’s exactly that - a modern, keyboard driven version of soft rock for adults that evokes a romantic summer getaway under blue skies and swaying palm trees, with no traces of the harsh realities we face every day.

Naive Super is the solo project of Yushi Ibuki, who formerly played keyboards for Pictured Resort. Although they have a similar background and you might class their music as modern Japanese city pop, Naive Super leans more toward Europe, influenced by Air, Kings of Convenience, and Everything But the Girl.

Despite having released a number of singles, to date there has been no full length Naive Super album. While that fits the times we live in now, where the album could be considered obsolete because listeners only ever pick up singles and create their own playlists, it made me wonder if Naive Super would ever release an album. NWOAOR is the closest thing we have for now, and even though the Naive Super discography is decently sized, NWOAOR only contains seven songs. Not only that, the EP revolves around four key songs, with the rest serving as connective tissue.

This suggests that NWOAOR was intended as more of a concept album. In creating that image of a perfect summer, Naive Super has selected the most appropriate tracks for that vibe, namely Thousand Visions, Dancing The Summer Away, Splendid Silent Sun, and In The High-Rises. However, to tie the whole thing together, there are two new tracks, Deep In Vague Days and Afterwerk. These two were designed as segues into their parent tracks, and are critical for setting up the show.

So instead of just having a string of singles, the EP starts with Deep In Vague Days, and features the same rhythm and sound as the following track Thousand Visions - you’ll hear the same melody in the background. And as this track ends it swells up and leads seamlessly into Thousand Visions, creating a perfect 1-2 punch to start the record. That’s also because Thousand Visions might be the strongest track of the EP with its infectious beat, bright synth loops, and uplifting melody. Though the English might be awkward, the feeling is honest, painting beautiful visions of being together as a solution to the imperfect world. Sure, that’s a fantasy and super naive, but that’s what we’re here for right? Because we all feel burned out and like the world is on our case. Something I can definitely relate to.

That’s followed up by the equally bright Dancing The Summer Away, and it’s reminiscent of Belinda Carlisle’s Summer Rain, minus the heaviness of war in the verses. Here the verses touch on life choices and regrets, fighting the rat race, and the chorus is the release - again an escape from reality into a dreamy summer. The other new track Afterwerk neatly sets up In The High Rises, a collaboration with Koji Takagi of Pictured Resort, who brings his representative cutting guitar sound. This is the other side of city pop, the loneliness of urban life experienced in the tower apartments. The pre-chorus even sounds like a riff on FPM’s City Lights or Joe Jackson’s Steppin Out. 

The fourth key track is the mellow Splendid Silent Sun, and again we find ourselves pining for sunshine in the darkness. It appears to be the theme for the EP, and a product of the times we live in. In a way it really is modern city pop, there’s a little bit of shadows and clouds in the background in spite of the bright facades, giving it a little more emotional depth than the classic romantic stuff. That being said, the lyrics aren’t super deep, due to the choice to sing exclusively in English - it’s a little bit like Pictured Resort in that sense. Removing the vocals from Girl In The Cities to close the EP also shows that the vibe is more important than the message. There are no sharp edges in Naive Super music, partly due to aesthetics but perhaps also in part to having a positive, optimistic attitude.

At just 22 minutes for a record, NWOAOR is short, making it more like a picture perfect postcard. But that’s what people seem to want in these difficult times: a brief respite from reality, the sun on a cloudy day. NWOAOR is the equivalent of a musical vacation, much more Club Med than backpacking adventure of self discovery. So it probably won’t change your life, but it feels like pure bliss, if only for a moment.

Tokyo ON also recommends: Pictured Resort - Once Upon A Season