I've always wanted to go to Japan, and I hope I get the opportunity to visit before leaving this mortal coil. I'm not sure if Peace Walker is a concept album, but if it is, its narrative appears to involve jetting off from Michigan to Japan, possibly taking part in a heist, and then returning, with flights 275 [Arrival] and 274 [Departure] bookending the experience.
The references to the place are dotted all over the album, from tracks named after Japanese places like Minami-Gyotoku and Hamachō Park, to tracks like 10m² making reference to small living environments and possibly the movie Lost in Transation. Even the album title, Peace Walker I directly associate with the Japanese game franchise Metal Gear Solid.
Tonally, the album skirts around this slightly dreamlike aesthetic. The opening track very clearly evokes pop's favourite piece of classic music, Pachelbel's Canon, but is immediately followed by Yamamote Line, a trappy song evoking a sense of excitement about being in a new place, eating the food, gambling, clubbing, and doing drugs. The following song SCRAMBLE seemingly being about hearing the Macarena and either scrambling to run away from or towards the dance floor (it's directly referenced in the track). Regardless of what it's about, it's a big and moody synthwave track that I quite enjoyed.
It's around Hamachō Park that things take a much sweeter tone. Gentle piano chords and a simple kick drum underpin delicate and nostalgic synths, and there's a sense of beauty and wonder to the track. It honestly caught me off guard. That feeling continues with the slightly more upbeat Minami-Gyotoku.
The vibe shifts to night time again with Maitro - Kaio-Ken [MANTIX Remix]. This one slaps. I have no idea what MANTIS is on about with their down-pitched rapping here, but it creates a really cool and slightly aggressive and scary atmosphere. It's just a shame it's only 97 seconds long because I could have done with a few more verses.
Another cool track is Heist, which focuses around a big bass synth riff and a thumping beat. It sounds like the kind of thing you might hear when playing Hotline Miami. That said, it's the title track, Peace Walker, that I reckon is the strongest here. It has with this cool skittering beat, slightly dissonant synths, and is really elevated by these urgent robot vocals.
It's a good album, then, but I don't think it's perfect. Lots of tracks are built around a singular riff or chord progression, and often I think that can really work in its favour, but listening to an album of it can be a little exhausting. I really felt that with the track, Electric Town, which is the longest on here. It's not bad, but I do think it overstays its welcome a tad.
What this album really excels at is having a sense of place. The album was partially produced in Japan, and I think (with the aid of song titles) you do get that feeling when listening to it.