REVIEW

The second album from Japanese shoegaze band Blurred City Lights.

Based in Nagoya, Blurred City Lights formed in 2022. Originally a five-piece, the lineup shifted the same year when two members departed in August; since then, the band has operated as a trio: Nanase Kamiya (Vo/Ba/Key), Megumi (Gt), and Ryuma Ohashi (Dr). Their previous work was noted for its delicately crafted melodies and narrative-driven compositions. This latest release, arriving roughly a year later, introduces a new conceptual approach: a paired structure titled “Utopia” and “Dystopia.”

Although the two halves are distributed separately on streaming platforms, they function most coherently as a single body of work. Together, they suggest a large-scale concept album shaped by dualities—light and shadow, hope and resignation. Due to the format of this site, the two parts will be reviewed separately; this first installment focuses on “Utopia,” the album’s luminous counterpart.

“Utopia” embodies the album’s light. The instrumental opener #1 “Uzu” flows directly into #2 “swirl of lights,” where shimmering sheets of distortion surge forward, immersing the listener in a literal vortex of light. The effect feels almost hymn-like in its expansiveness. In recent years, indie or alternative bands with female vocals have sometimes been loosely categorized as shoegaze by more casual listeners; here, however, the dense, fully realized wall of sound firmly situates Blurred City Lights within the genre’s core tradition.

On #3 “Shukusai,” the album’s brightness becomes even more pronounced. A pastoral waltz rhythm carries a sweeping, sunlit grandeur, as if sunlight, wind, and the rustling of trees had been translated directly into sound. The arrangement subtly quotes Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” toward the finale—an elegant gesture that reinforces the track’s devotional atmosphere.

#4 “Hoshinagi Ni Negau” foregrounds Kamiya’s refined pop sensibility. The clear, cool-toned vocals and wistful melodic contours may resonate strongly with listeners drawn to acts such as Hitsujibungaku or Homecomings. A brief piano interlude, #5 “utopiaflorist,” creates negative space within the narrative before #6 “Planet” releases its skyward prayer, guiding the story toward a conclusion steeped in hope.

Yet this world shifts once “Dystopia” is heard. Its light takes on a different meaning in the presence of what follows.

Next review: Blurred City Lights – Dystopia