`Japanese Manners (Heisei Fuzoku)'
EMI
Japanese singer Ringo Sheena is back with her fifth solo album, offering an eclectic mix of old style jazz, classical and even electronic music. She worked with composer and violinist Neko Saito on the album, which is also the soundtrack to the period Japanese film ``Sakuran."
Though the album seems like it is full of remakes, since 7 out of 13 tracks are updated versions of Sheena's old songs including ``Stem," ``Gamble" and ``Consciously," she performs a particularly charming version of Rosemary Clooney's classic ``Mangos," even adding French to the English lyrics. Her raspy, sexy voice is perfectly suited for the enchanting songs, which seem to also be infused with modern musical elements.
-Cathy A. Garcia