When Keiko Matsui first appeared on the American music scene in 1987, her music was fresh; a new take on the smooth jazz genre, the juxtaposition of Eastern and Western musical sensibilities combined with Matsui's well-honed, natural talent with the piano made her a force to be reckoned with when it came to new musical talent.

Twenty years and over a million sold, Matsui has managed to prove that she can reinvent herself and create wonderful, engaging music time and time again. Released in early 2004, Wildflower takes listeners around the world as Matsui delivers one of her most "modern"-sounding albums to date. While some fans criticized her early works with Narada (Whisper from the Mirror, Deep Blue, and The Ring) as being too New Age-y and less jazz, most everyone sat down and shut up when this disc hit the shelves, and for good reason.

The eleven tracks contained within are both similar and radically different from much of Matsui's previously-released material. Drawing on her earlier Narada releases, many of the tracks here have a big, soundscape-y feel, with plenty of resounding sounds and wandering melodies that eventually come together to make the song a whole; as well, given the "world music" theme the album seems to have, several ethnic elements show up -- chanting voices, stylings that seem drawn from particular countries, etc.; however, someone on Matsui's team (I'm guessing either she or her husband) decided to have a bit of fun and make things different, so they threw in some elements of electronica here to spice things up a bit. The result finds Matsui's classical and jazz sensibilities underscored by pulsing trip-hop beats, whirring synthesizer sound effects, and things of the like. It's different and engaging, yes, but only serves to add another layer of complexity to Matsui's music, making it all that much more enjoyable to sit and listen to.

In the negative zone, there's not much to say. Matsui's albums usually don't have too much to quibble about, and this one's no exception. Sequencing is a bit of a problem (which is one of the problems Matsui has constantly), as the album starts out strong and then segues into a couple slower songs before bouncing back with another midtempo one. It's not jarring, but it seems a bit odd given the stylistic differences between the opening and middle sections of the album. Song length is uniformly good, except on Seeker, which runs a bit too long for my tastes. It's a pretty track, but it could've been cut down a bit and still have the same effect.

However, the album works well as a whole:

Flashback
Much like she would do on Walls of Akendora a year later, Matsui opens Wildflower with a track that immediately catches the listener's attention. While the former track screamed "Jazz!" with all its heart, this one is a bit more reserved, opening with some ominous-sounding synth before Matsui strikes a chord and the sparkly synths resound. Building on a synth line that sounds much like the James Bond theme, the track is slightly more meditative, placing Matsui's contemplative piano line against the synths until slightly after a minute, where a slightly trippy beat makes itself known and a computerized male voice speaks a line. From here, the track simply takes off, using jazz improvisation well; while many of Matsui's other tracks have a dedicated melody, this one doesn't, instead floating from melodical structure to melodical structure, allowing Matsui to experiment. The synths whirr and match her, the drums crash, and the strings echo, rising and lowering in intensity as Matsui runs, piano in hand, toward a simple three-note succession that serves as a dramatic and engaging conclusion. This track is probably one of Matsui's most experimental to date, and it works extremely well.

Facing Up
When I first bought this album and was playing it in the car for some friends, they described this track as sounding like something one might hear on the soundtrack to a Final Fantasy game. Opening with a resounding string section and a few idly-played notes by Matsui, the song is quickly introduced to a shiny, echoing synth beat that sounds strangely dance-y (another new element for Matsui). As she plays a lilting piano line, the song grows in anticipation as the synths create an air of mystery before the song's most dramatic section, which begins as Matsui strikes a note on the piano and does something most other pianists might hate. Continually playing that one note, she builds an air of enjoyability by using her left hand to slowly move down the lower part of the piano as the synth line growls in the background. After this comes "the Final Fantasy part", where Matsui's sense of melody takes over and she provides the listener with a very pleasant, smooth, and memorable section. The dramatic one-note is reprised before the song launches into a slightly more experimental, improvised section that focuses more on playing around with the piano. It doesn't, however, kill the song, but instead adds more to the fantasy-esque air Matsui's created. A brief repeat of the song's opening piano line is looped before ending rather-abruptly -- which works. Things don't always tie-up neatly, and that's put to good use here. Extremely well-done.

Reflections
Featuring an African-sounding drum beat and a light synth part as Matsui's companions, Reflections is probably the most "jazz" of the songs on the album, but it's not straightforward jazz. Rather, she combines her "New Age" stylings with a light, bouncy, and fun piano part that is memorable and well-played. While some of her other tracks try for a more equal balance between Matsui and the background stuff, this one places her piano firmly at the forefront, as she pounds out most of the notes to give them the full force needed for a track like this. The rather minimalistic background is a welcome change given the hectic nature of some of the tracks here, and as much as I love tracks like the first two, ones like this draw my heart (and ears) in more because it's the piano I'm here for, not the synths or the drums. Matsui's in full-force here, and the combination of jazz stylings with a more ethnic rhythm part works in her favor, as always.

Temple of Life
The album's shortest track is also one of its most beautiful. Opening with a well-played solo from Matsui, the song transitions into "dramatic mode" (after a quick up-the-scale part from a chime) by adding in a brooding, incessantly-repeated string section (and a somewhat militaristic drum beat) which Matsui plays call-and-response with, playing much the same line each time except differing the key each time she repeats. The song delves even more into the mysterious by becoming busier during the middle section, layering a haunting operatic female vocal part with Matsui's improvised piano part as the drums crash, the strings are played, and things increase in intensity before crashing back down; Matsui takes the lead from here, sounding out a playful piano reprise before the track fades to black.

Wildflower
The album's title track brings everything together, ending on a quieter note (which seems only fitting given the loud way things began). It's got probably the most classical-tinged elements of any track here, featuring a (synthesized, I'm assuming) harpsichord part, a quietly-played string section, and a piano line that's incredibly focused on melody rather than playing around with jazz stylings or seeing where it can be taken next. It's calming, meditative, and doesn't feel the need to play games with technology to try and impress. Rather, it relies on allowing Matsui to do what she does best -- create memorable, engaging piano-based tracks -- and impress that way. Impress, she does. The track is probably one of her best title tracks to date (but those are always impressive) and gives one a sense that Matsui really does want to heal the world through her music.

Royalties from the title track were sent to aid the United Nations World Food Program.

Matsui's fourteenth studio release, like almost all her others, is a pleasant, interesting, and engaging listen. She creates songs that stick in one's head and can serve as either a dramatic tour de force or a quiet, seductively-beautiful piece to sit down and think to. Wildflower tries some different things, but never loses sight of what it is at heart. Highly recommended.

Keiko Matsui: "Wildflower"
[ CDA | ASIN: B0001BKAEO | MSRP: $17.98 | 2004.02.24 ]

01. Flashback [ 4:48 ]
02. Facing Up [ 4:33 ]
03. Sense of a Journey [ 4:28 ]
04. Brand New Wind [ 4:29 ]
05. Eldest of All [ 4:06 ]
06. Reflections [ 4:23 ]
07. White Castle [ 4:31 ]
08. Temple of Life [ 3:46 ]
09. Seeker [ 5:07 ]
10. Stone Circle [ 4:58 ]
11. Wildflower [ 4:19 ]

[ http://www.keikomatsui.com ]

Other Keiko Matsui Reviews:

Deep Blue (2001)
Walls of Akendora (2005)

Recommended: Yes