Flower Japan 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: If the sunniness of the dub-flecked music on offer on this superb album seem familiar, there's a good reason for that. It was written and produced by Masato Komatsu and Ryo Kawahara, a duo who have been delivering similarly hazy, loved-up and reggae-influenced sounds as Slowly for some time. Down The Road was written during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic and has been trailed as a "soundtrack to a weekend lost to the virus". Regardless of the inspirations, what's on offer is simply awesome - a lusciously laidback, gently melodious Balearic dub masterpiece full of memorable melodies, immersive ambient sound washes, glistening guitar licks and shuffling, slow motion drum machine beats. The A-side 'Lost Weekend Suite', which rolls out over four parts, is undeniably magical, but the whole album is almost as impressive.