{"product_id":"mei-semones-animaru-cd","title":"Mei Semones - Animaru CD ( VINYL )","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"No second-guessing, no overthinking. The way I want to live my life is by doing the things that\r\nare important to me, and I think everyone should live that way,\" says Mei Semones of her\r\nstrengthened self-assurance. Through continuously honing in on her signature fusion of indie\r\nrock, bossa nova, jazz and chamber pop in a way that highlights her technical prowess on\r\nguitar, the 24-year-old Brooklyn-based songwriter and guitarist is quickly establishing herself as\r\nan innovative musical force. Since the release of her acclaimed 2024 Kabutomushi EP, a series\r\nof lushly orchestrated reflections on love in it's many stages, Mei has gone on to tour\r\nextensively across the US, cultivate a dedicated following, and write and record her highly\r\nanticipated debut album, Animaru. Meaning \"animal\" in Japanese, Animaru is the embodiment of\r\nMei's deeper trust in her instincts - a collection of musically impressive tracks that see Mei\r\nsounding more adventurous, more vulnerable and more confident than ever before.\r\nMei's newfound assertiveness comes in part from her experiences in the past year, as 2024 was\r\na transformative year for the Mei Semones band. They shared bills with the likes of Liana\r\nFlores, Elephant Gym and Kara Jackson, among others, and Mei transitioned to doing music\r\nfull-time. Amidst the frequent touring, Mei and her five-piece band recorded the album in the\r\nsummer of 2024 at Ashlawn Recording Company, a farm studio in Connecticut operated by their\r\nfriend Charles Dahlke. To these sessions, she brought a batch of tracks that, not unlike\r\nKabutomushi, are sophisticated declarations of non-romantic love: love of life (\"Dumb Feeling\"),\r\nlove of family (\"Zarigani\"), love of music and her guitar (\"Tora Moyo\"). Animaru exemplifies Mei's\r\nenchantingly wide range as a songwriter and musician, including some of the most challenging\r\nand most straightforward songs Mei has ever written.\r\nThe simpler moments on Animaru are equally as captivating as when Mei is shredding on guitar\r\nor her bandmates are carrying out an intricate arrangement. \"Donguri,\" a stripped-down jazz\r\nduo performance between acoustic guitar and upright bass, is the simplest song Mei has ever\r\nwritten, brought to life by Mei sweetly chronicling (mostly in Japanese) what she imagines life\r\nwould be like as a woodland creature living in the forest. The album's penultimate track also\r\nencompasses themes relating to the titular \"animaru.\" Translating to \"crayfish,\" the bright,\r\neffervescent \"Zarigani\" is a nostalgic expression of love for her twin sister, with Mei singing\r\n\"We'll always have each other \/ I love you like my guitar \/ I love you like no other.\" Family is one\r\nof the top loves of Mei's life, with her mom, Seiko Semones, making all of her album and single\r\nartwork. Despite Animaru being a statement of Mei's autonomy and confidence at this point in\r\nher life, it's the various loves that she surrounds herself with - her family, her friends, her band,\r\nher music - that empower her to do things her own way.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLabel: Bayonet Records\u003cbr\u003eUPC: 850057707465\u003cbr\u003eRelease Date: May 02, 2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTrack List\u003c\/p\u003e\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDumb Feeling\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e Dangomushi\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e Tora Moyo\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e I Can Do What I Want\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e Animaru\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e Donguri\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e Norwegian Shag\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e Rat with Wings\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e Zarigani\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e Sasayaku Sakebu\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e","brand":"02- Alliance","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56736118833525,"sku":"850057707465","price":2.25,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0925\/8300\/2485\/files\/4412649-3335582.jpg?v=1770956387","url":"https:\/\/warmvibevinyls.com\/products\/mei-semones-animaru-cd","provider":"My Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}