Big In Japan
Princess Veronica, 2026
9/10
The jazz singer-songwriter Georgia Weber pens a quick but very diverse listen, where grief, love, and memory are explored with much emotion and wit.
“Jo” opens and brings a soft dreaminess that’s a bit mysterious in its briefness, and “Kintsugi” follows with cautious beauty, where Weber’s soft voice is met with Kenji Herbert’s lush guitar and Nathan Ellman-Bell’s restrained drums.
In the middle, the ambience of “Wind Telephone” swirls with a mesmerizing bout of heartfelt singing and cinematic ideas that make great use Weber’s bass and voice.
At the end, “Urashima Taro” comes with a drum filled intro before the eloquent singing and intimate versus adventurous contrast enters, and “Koinobori” exits with a quick instrumental that’s introspective in an atypical way.
A highly creative listen that benefits from Japanese traditions and folk tales, Weber’s use of calm harmonies, sonically intriguing backdrops and gentle grooves keeps the listener guessing and engaged.
Travels well with: Amy Jay- Mnemonics; Bandits On The Run- Now Is The Time