Mayumi Yamazaki – “Rainyman”

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Tokyo-based artist Mayumi Yamazaki crafts an enamoring pop sound on “Rainyman,” where playful synths, lush woodwind flourishes, and magnetic vocal layers combine for a riveting production. Yamazaki’s vocals, sung in Japanese, balance seamlessly between dreamy introspection and hooky backing reflections.

A sweetly endearing thematic heart also shines within, detailing the story of a boy who looked forward to the rain — since it meant that his father, who worked outside, would return home early. The track’s title — “Rainyman” — refers to what the boy called him, and in general captures how even rainy days can bring joy beyond precipitation’s initially evident gloom.

The verses stir with Yamazaki’s melodic vocal presence, gearing with momentum as steady acoustic pulses and sporadic woodwinds develop into multi-layered vocal enthusiasm — bolstered by enamoring synths. Playful keys and a whistle effect at the one-minute turn continue the amiable pop flair, moving with ethereal charm throughout and into a fully sating conclusion.

This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.

We discovered this release via MusoSoup.

Mike Mineo

I'm the founder/editor of Obscure Sound, which was formed in 2006. Previously, I wrote for PopMatters and Stylus Magazine.

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