Ginger Root, the self-styled ‘aggressive elevator soul’ project, is back with his new album SHINBANGUMI.
His first since 2022’s Nisemono, Cameron Lew of Ginger Root’s move to a new label is reflected in the translated title of the album, which literally means ‘new program’.
SHINBANGUMI is half an hour of joyful, bouncy funk laced through with city-pop elements and some absolutely slamming basswork. The short album is separated by two short interjections, one featuring a short Japanese language segment and one wistful jazz instrumental.
After a short intro, SHINBANGUMI bursts into life with the energetic “No Problems,” whose lyrics start a trend seen throughout the album; light instrumentals hide some real dark moodiness. The chorus asks the question: ‘how can you say this is not for debatin’ / how, how can you say that you got no problems? / I, I can’t be fake when you’re up and elated / how, how can you say that you got no problems?’ suggesting that all-too-familiar feeling of when it feels like things are falling apart but somehow everyone remains unconcerned.
Moving right into “Better Than Monday,” this moodier track cries ‘up and on again / but how long ‘til I lose my head’? The struggle feels real, but the driving bass and staccato drums of “Better Than Monday” are reminiscent of the kind of momentum needed on difficult days.
Slightly weaker than the first two tracks is “There Was A Time,” which features some adorable ‘bloopy’ keyboard effects for its short-and-sweet 2:50 wander. The same cannot be said of the following “All Night,” which for all intents and purposes feels like a dance track for a disco in your living room. Indeed, that sax do ‘be soothin’.
After our first short interlude, “Only You” utilises the bright, twinkly sounds of a glockenspiel to create a more hopeful-sounding edge, which is in perfect contrast to the perfect funk basswork, for which “Only You” is one of two best examples on this album. That hopeful edge is offset by lyrics that almost sound desperate, as Ginger Root himself cries ‘watching if I lose my mind / must I come to find / only you?
Next up we have “Kaze,” which feels like it could have jumped out of the City Pop-era fully formed – not least because it’s the album’s only fully Japanese-language track (if we’re not counting the first interlude “CM”).
Following is “Giddy Up,” which is the album’s most perfect iteration of gorgeous, rhythmic bass. Throughout the album is Ginger Root’s gentle vocals, mixed in such a way that they almost warble and sound far away – which matches perfectly with the quietly sad, introspective lyrics. “Giddy Up” provides another example of this, as Ginger Root wonders ‘when does it ever get better? / and now I’m runnin’ from the truth’. The bass definitely helps with that feeling of ‘running’.
After our second interlude – the wistful “Think Cool” – the energy picks up again with “Show 10” despite a few opening bars of something slower. This track features the greatest range of vocal gymnastics from Ginger Root, as he really reaches up into his higher register and pulls off some impressive octave switches. The lyrics show off much less confusion than the rest of the album, with the themes almost akin to giving advice – ‘well, look now, I’m just needing time / you whisper, ‘darling don’t you fret’ / you’re feeling fine’. The more expansive use of percussion during the bridge and outro ends up sounding like a ticking clock or indicator (blinker) as if the listener is waiting for an answer to all their questions.
Rounding out the album is “Take Me Back (Okaware no Jikan),” which brings back the soothing sax and glockenspiel twinkles, as well as adding in some church bell effects. The effect is more ‘grand’ than the rest of the album, and this along with the lyrics makes it feel like Ginger Root has reached some conclusions about everything he’s been wondering throughout the album: ‘Gather ‘round, I’ll tell you a tale that never ends / rather me than them, all the while we’d share amends’. Fading out on some more bells, the end of the album feels like the end of the day; wrapped up nicely, box closed.
Overall, SHINBANGUMI is a lovely piece of mutant synth-pop/funk goodness, and a perfect bright package that shows its darker side if you listen closely.
Connect with Ginger Root on Instagram or watch the official album visualiser here.
