Mai

In his article "Pacific Moon Rising" in the September 2000 issue of New Age Voice Magazine, Peter Manzi writes that Eri Sugai undoubtedly will be compared to Enya upon the release of her first U.S. album, Mai. It's a comparison that does not please the singer, who protests that she adopted her singing style long before Enya's first album. But it must not bother Pacific Moon Records, which included a copy of the article with promotional copies of Mai. So, it's worth bowing to the inevitable and noting that, on Mai, Eri Sugai records large numbers of vocal overdubs, creating an echoed, ethereal sound that will remind many listeners of Enya. That said, except for the opening track, "Horizon," she uses the approach in very different ways, eschewing Enya's Celtic style for Japanese, Middle Eastern, and African influences. For the most part, she is not singing actual lyrics, but rather invented vocal sounds. She has a strong sense of rhythm, but is equally ready to construct a cappella passages when it suits her. She also employs sound effects, such as the water sounds in "Rakuen," for added atmosphere. The result is a more varied musical palette than one hears on an Enya album, but it's fair to say that Enya fans should give this one a listen if they'd like to hear something just a little more unusual.