桜の国の散る中を

Upon the occasion of this specific response to the album, I was sitting in my listening room playing this album when my house guest came in to sit with me and listen, and I was glad he did, not only because he is my friend but because he's Japanese and could give me his insider perspective on the music. I have a better than normal grasp on Japanese culture, but I'm not a native, so I always like to learn more. As we discussed the album afterward, two words/phrases came to mind: setsunai and mono no aware, sadness and transient existence, respectively. This album is, in part, about the death of the musician's childhood friend at a young age, cut off in the bloom and promise of life, just as the cherry blossoms fall almost as soon as they reach full bloom. Musically, this album is extremes meeting, both soothing flutework and on-edge, manic vocals. This album satisfies on many levels, not least of which being the space for interpretation at the word level.