Listening to Takeshi “Goh” Nakamura’s debut album, Daylight Savings is not unlike falling in love for the first time. It’s bemusing, sweet, and a little clumsy in moments, but pricelessly charming in spite of itself. You hope it never ends. Nakamura, a Bay Area native, successfully marries earnest and bemusing lyrics with catchy refrains and solid guitar melodies.Without delving into cloying sentimentality or heavy theatrics, Goh is a purist when it comes to his art. Daylight Savingsis the first love result of an end-to-end DIY music production. From the artist:

“Here are 11 songs from the deepest reaches of my heart.

The Breakdown:
2 sad songs (“Daylight Savings,”“Highway Flowers”)
2 songs about getting dissed (“Z=zerogame,”“Pigeon Toes”)
3 Love Songs (“Y.T.,”“Surrogate,”“Yer Highness”)
4 “Dream” Songs (“At Ease,”“Embarcadero,”“El Camino,”“N.P.”)

Everything was recorded all by my lonesome on a Roland VS 880 digital 8 track in the wee and not so wee hours in various bedrooms and living rooms in California.”

Daylight invites humming along. It becomes second nature and you’ll find that you don’t even mind that the CD is physically and literally stuck in your car stereo system–3 weeks straight.The sequence and selection of songs create a biography of extraordinarily accessible memories and experiences covering childhood memories, bad jobs, loss, first kisses, fandom crushes, and startling love. Nakamura’s emotionally taut and controlled lyrics have frequently been compared to Elliot Smith, while his vocal stylings resonate a little of both Colin Haye and Elvis Costello.Wry, self-effacing humor in Daylight tunes “N.P.,” “Embarcadero,” and “Z=Zero game” will manage to wriggle a smile out of even the most dour cynic. (“Goh Portman”? I mean come on). No pretenses or hyper-emo stylings. Just solid, smart songwriting. Refraining from the more ambitious live loop tracks that can be experienced at a Goh “Live” show, Nakamura keeps his self harmonizing clean and focused in intention. Still, one wonders if he recorded these tunes while barefoot. It would seem quite alright if he did. I’d reference the liner notes, but alas there aren’t any. Maybe in his next album. . . rumored to be produced later this year by Ooh You Records. In the meantime, you’ll just have to listen to this album again, and again, and again, and again yourself. Or visit his website: gohnakamura.com for more on the lyrics and their inspiration.

by Min Jung Kim