Rythem's 23 is a typical specimen of female J-pop that aspires to sound pleasant without being noticeable. Both young ladies comprising the duo play their instruments (piano for one and guitar for the other) and write their own songs, which, within the context of the style, amounts to saying this is not overly processed dance-pop, but a soft rock record -- a huge emphasis on "soft." The entire album is a cornucopia of strings and romantic synthesizer passages, supplemented by moderate tempos, gentle singing, live percussion, some pianos, and acoustic guitars. The band's devotion to bright melodies is impregnable -- all and any attempts to add a bit of drama to the music, just to stir things up a little, are immediately swept away by waves of sweetness. Rythem know their way around arrangements, too, throwing in the occasional drum loop, brass section, or even a vintage organ, but this is mist in the morning, and considering that the band goes for a very sunny mood, these tricks don't have a lot of impact. In fact, for all its harmony, the album is completely hookless. Rythem's songs are very similar to those of Angela Aki, Hitomi Yaida, Mikuni Shimokawa, Ikimono Gakari, and many others, but they stick even less, to the point where plainness becomes their main trait. Things are explained by Rythem's involvement with the cartoon industry: sure, every Japanese performer dreams of anime, but for Rythem, providing songs for various series is one step away from a daytime job. Aiming for a soundtrack explains the sweetness and the lack of desire to push the envelope even a little, but without a story and visuals to prop it, 23 is not really impressive.