The Loveliest Time

孤独の先にあった、美しく愛すべき世界-

全国6都市を巡る大規模なジャパン・ツアーにも携えた前作アルバム『ザ・ロンリエスト・タイム』から連なる、カーリー史上"最も内省的"かつ"最も溌剌とした"作品群がここに完成。

パンデミックにおける孤独、そして、その中にある美しさを主題とした、2022年にリリースされたオリジナル・アルバム『ザ・ロンリエスト・タイム』。今作『ザ・ラヴリエスト・タイム』はその前作に連なる作品となり、冬眠の季節が終わると花が咲く季節がやってくるように、孤独を経たからこそ到達した愛すべき世界とその喜びがテーマとなり、「愛と孤独、そして自分自身についてたくさんのことを教えてくれた作品群の完成形」だとカーリーはコメントしている。

The companion albums Carly Rae Jepsen issues shortly after her major releases dont just give her fans more music to love -- they let her go beyond the boundaries of the works that spawned them. On The Loveliest Time, she turns the title of The Loneliest Time, and its heartache, on its head. Jepsen cant stay down for too long, and aside from her moody, string-laden acknowledgment of former loves on "Put It to Rest," she embodies the joy she was searching for on her previous album. Shes got a song for just about every kind of love: With its skipping rhythm and breathy vocals, "Weekend Love" lives up to its name. When shouting from rooftops isnt enough, theres "Stadium Love," where she backs the head-over-heels choruses with arena-sized beats and a sizzling guitar solo. Though Jepsen is known for her songs about love at first sight, shes getting her groove back on the slinky, whispery disco of "Shy Boy," one of The Loveliest Times brightest highlights -- and one of her sexiest songs yet. She balances gorgeous, heart-tugging pop songs like the Rostam Batmanglij-produced "Shadow" and "After Last Night" with more daring moves like "Anything to Be with You." A fresh-sounding mix of hip-hop-tinged beats, spiky guitars, and saxophone, its a reminder of how good she sounds when she steps outside of her 70s- and 80s-inspired comfort zone. As much as she changes things up, Jepsen always has one foot on the dancefloor, and The Loveliest Time boasts some of her most kinetic songs in some time. She injects synth pop drama into "Kamikaze" and delivers blissful filter disco with "Psychedelic Switch," one of many moments on the album where she makes The Loneliest Times fantasies come to life. Never less than sweet and engaging, The Loveliest Time may not be as ambitious as its predecessor, but when it comes to Jepsens lighter-than-air pop, it just might be more consistent. ~ Heather Phares

昨年10月の『The Loneliest Time』と同時期にレコーディングされていた、姉妹作となる7作目。ジェイムズ・フォード手掛けるシングル"Shy Boy"をはじめ、元ヴァンパイア・ウィークエンドのロスタム・バトマングリ関与の"Shadow"、ロビンでお馴染みパトリック・バーガー手掛けるピアノ・ハウス"Put It To Rest"、ダフト・パンク的な手法が満載の"Psychedelic Switch"など、アルバム名にもある通り〈ラヴリーなひと時〉を届けてくれる。決して無理強いしない、独自のスタイルと品格と持ったカーリーならではのポップ・ワールドを展開。あえてBサイド集と謳わなかったのも大正解。
bounce (C)村上ひさし