Fleursy Music

Takahiro Kido coined the word "fleursy" out of the French word "fleur" — flower. So this album's title is meant to mean "flowerish music" and, indeed, it is quite a bit "fleur bleue." Kido, whose main band Anoice was never known for rocking hard, gets extra quiet and extra sweet on his first solo album. It consists, for the most part, in post-rock-style piano tunes, dressed up with strings (both from the violin and guitar families), delicate electronics, mood-setting field recordings, and — very occasionally — a rhythm section. The first two tracks, "Y" and "Smile-Spotter Chronicle," have a very strong post-rock flavor, bringing immediately to mind Mogwai and Godspeed You Black Emperor!. However, the remainder of the album slips off toward something a bit more mundane, a form of gentle, inoffensive instrumental music. From the cute melody of the piano tune "The Gentle Afternoon" to the elegant waltz "Izze," to the soaring, anthemic theme of "Christmas Song," the material stays on the predictable, family friendly course. Kido does a great job arranging his pieces (each track bears a different and well-defined sound design) and assembling his acoustic and electronic tracks, although in rare occasions, he puts in gratuitous glitches. Yet, in the end, you come out of this CD remembering very little about it. Fleursy Music makes nice background music for a family dinner or late-night conversations between lovers, but, as elegant as it is, it remains noncommittal. ~ François Couture, Rovi