The 2017 album "Mishio Lied" by singer-songwriter Mai Mishio stands out for its infectious celebration of pop music from the past. Written and produced by the Tokyo-based artist, the album was inspired by the "new music" genre that emerged in Japan in the 1970s during a fertile period in the nation's music industry.
Japanese music scenes have long been influenced by popular trends in Europe and the United States, but the new-music wave was distinguished by its melding of multiple elements, fusing jazz, funk, pop, rock and soul into one distinctive sound.
"When I was growing up, I was always more interested in music from the past than contemporary music," Mishio said, seated in a nondescript cafe in one of Shibuya's less-trodden corners.
Despite having a voice as vivid and soulful as the finest singers of the new-music era, in person, Mishio is refreshingly low-key, showing no sign of having also inherited the prima donna airs of some of her predecessors.
"When I was an elementary school student ... I would sing to my grandmother and her friends and they would give me small rewards," she said, explaining what attracted her to music "Rather than having a dream of becoming a musician, I learned from a young age that singing was one way to earn a living, and I simply continued doing just that."
Raised in Saga Prefecture, Mishio began learning the piano at age 7 but switched to the guitar in her teens after an uncle taught her how to play.
"One of the first songs I learned was 'Jitensha ni Notte' by the famous Japanese folk singer Wataru Takada," she said, revealing the first of many unexpected musical influences.
Mishio emerged in 2001 as the guitarist and singer in alt-rock group Uzumibi. Three albums followed in which the Fukuoka-formed trio mined a kaleidoscope of inspirations, developing a signature sound that stretched the boundaries of classification.
In 2011 came the group's final release, the expansive "Diorama," which in parts sounds more like a film score than an indie rock album.
"During that period, I was working as a cinema projectionist," Mishio said. "In the space of one year I watched a lot of films ... so I think that probably impacted the sound [of the album]."
After Uzumibi disbanded, Mishio worked on a stream of conceptual projects, with each release sonically different from the next.
Mishio and fellow indie artist Maria Hato formed the duo Aniss and Lacanca and released a self-titled album in 2012 on which the two musicians reimagined a road trip as a carefree collection of whimsical songs -- the sleeve features Mishio and Hato as the fictional eponymous siblings attempting to hitch a ride to New Jersey. "The album is filled with all of the kinds of music we both love," she said.
Mishio also collaborated with producer You Ishihara, releasing an EP in 2014 under the artist name Manners. Her experience making the pop-tinged "Facies" proved to be a fruitful one.
"I asked a producer [to work with me on the project] and musicians that I respect a lot were involved," she said. "I was able to reflect on some of the things that developed in discussions with the producer. It was my first experience making changes [to songs] in response to comments I'd been given ... I learned a lot during the process."
Around the time she was working on "Aniss and Lacanca" and "Facies," Mishio self-released a series of mini albums titled "Hikigatari" -- solo recordings that featured her singing while providing her own instrumental accompaniment.
"There are some things that are difficult to achieve in a band format but that I wanted to try doing myself," she said, explaining her motivation for the DIY project.
Mishio credited the experience of working on the Manners mini album for giving her the confidence to release "Mishio Lied," which is titled "Usotsuki Mishio" in Japanese.
"I learned so many things [while making the EP], which enabled me to produce this by myself," she said, pointing to a copy of her solo album. "Without [the experience of creating] 'Facies' I wouldn't have been able to make 'Mishio Lied.'"
A common thread that weaves through each of Mishio's releases is her ability to summon a classic sound that recalls popular music from a bygone era.
"I especially like music from the '60s and '70s," she said. "And also, I used to work in a record shop ... I listened to a lot of music [when I was growing up]."
For fans of such new-music stalwarts as Tatsuro Yamashita and Minako Yoshida, the influence of the short-lived genre on "Mishio Lied" is unmistakable.
When pushed to name other artists who have impacted her sound, Mishio struggled to choose. But in the course of the interview, her vast breadth of musical interests became apparent: from the veteran actress and singer Izumi Yukimura, whose career began in the '50s, to the British electronic music producer SBTRKT.
And when she realized that the explanation of her approach to the vocals on the latest album wasn't quite being grasped by her interviewer, she paused momentarily before singing a rendition of Edith Piaf's "Hymne a l'Amour," contrasting the vibrato style of the French chanteuse with the stripped-back approach she chose to adopt on "Mishio Lied."
After the spring release of the 7-inch single "Low Motion," Mishio now has her hopes set on an LP version of the album coming out.
"It might be difficult because releasing vinyl records is expensive. I'd love to see it happen at some point, though."
Mishio was coy about the origin of the album's title, but she said she likes playing with language in the naming of her music.
"I consciously created different English and Japanese titles -- I did it on the Manners release, too. Japanese song titles tend to be concise and simple to understand ... whereas with English titles you can include some subtext."
Take "Nude Conversation," for example. The Japanese title "'Fuku o Nuide' means 'take off your clothes,' but it's not about literally [getting naked]," she explained.
Maybe the album's English title is also a play on words. A lied is a kind of German song that was popular in 18th and 19th century Romanticism: Mishio's way of giving a subtle nod to music history while reflecting the undercurrent of romance that permeates throughout the album, perhaps.
Whatever inspired the naming of "Mishio Lied," this collection of conversations on love, life and friendship celebrates a golden era of Japanese pop that is ripe for revival.
"Mishio Lied" is out now on P-Vine Records. Mishio is performing at Mona Records in Tokyo on Aug. 4. Visit mishiomai.com for more information (Japanese only).
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