Nagano’s Sentimental Boys might be a fairly left-field pick by my usual standards but there’s just something about the band’s 2nd album “Festival” that really drew me in. None of the songs included here would be considered high energy by any stretch of the imagination, but the way they manage to weave lead vocalist Uehara Hiroki’s often understated melodies into the album’s Lo-fi, and at times dreamy Rock instrumentations really makes for a great listening experience. The songs also make you feel like the band are living up to their name, with their emotional vocals marrying well with the atmospheres created by each song’s instrumental track. Certainly not a style of music that will be to everyone’s taste, but I recommend checking out “Yoake no Yume” and “Apartment” if you’re looking for a taste of what this album has to offer.
