In 2019,
Kishi Bashi
(
Kaoru Ishibashi
) released an album of poignant orchestral folk songs called
Omoiyari
, a Japanese word related to the concept of compassion and empathy through active practice. The songs came advertised as having been written for and/or inspired by a documentary he was working on about his own journey of self-discovery as the child of Japanese immigrants while learning about the U.S.'s WWII-era Japanese American internment camps, and cautioning against contemporary anti-immigrant political rhetoric. That film, Omoiyari: A Song Film by Kishi Bashi, finally had its world premiere in 2022, with a broader release and accompanying soundtrack album following in late 2023. With over 70 minutes of original recordings,
Music from the Song Film: Omoiyari
contains different versions of many of the songs from the 2019 album alongside new ones, an acoustic version of tour favorite "Manchester," and score material composed by
Ishibashi
. The new songs include the plaintive "Red, White, and Blue," an acoustic lament featuring guitar, piano, cello, violin, and a brittle-voiced
, and standout track "For Every Voice That Never Sang" featuring cellist
Emily Hope Price
, a more fully produced track with
's trademark violin loops, multi-layered vocals, and keen bittersweetness. While most of the music here is expectedly heavyhearted or at least pensive, a few lighter moments include a third original song, "A Safe Place for Animals," a children's tune featuring his daughter,
Sola Ishibashi
; and a section of jazz manouche, including score track "1853: Commodore Perry and His Black Ships" and a brief swing sample of
Bach
's
Concerto for Two Violins
. Also included are several so-titled improvisational clips and appearances by the
Nu Deco Ensemble
, who seamlessly flesh out the composer's affecting chamber compositions on a dozen of the soundtrack album's 33 music cues. ~ Marcy Donelson