Kobukuro had been around since 1998, but waited nearly a decade to release a best-of compilation, a long time to wait by J-pop standards. However, Kobukuro was never entirely within the normal realm of J-pop proper, holding to a foundation of folk and singer/songwriter aesthetics. At their best, as in "Takarajima," the duo can evoke emotions and musicality at the same time, not necessarily forcing the most dulcet tones vocally, but using their vocal deficiencies to power a more emotive run (à la Hata Motohiro). They have enough range to move toward full-on power pop or basic J-pop, but the duo generally avoids such trappings. Instead, they create relatively simple compositions, heartfelt lyrics and vocal deliveries, and compact arrangements. There's a lot of material on this double-disc set, and all of it is well constructed. The songs flow into one another fairly well, with a high level of coherence among the tracks. As a result, specific standouts are relatively rare, instead blending into a larger whole, not entirely unlike the wunderkind group Brilliant Green in their construction of full albums and coherent styles. Kobukuro is at the forefront of a movement toward less obviously manufactured elements in Japanese music, moving toward more songcraft and authentic emotional attachments. With a ranging collection like All Singles Best, the reason for their success at such an endeavor is clear.
© Adam Greenberg /TiVo