Pitchfork

Two years after Gwen Stefani started dropping the phrase "super kawaii" (we know, sooo last album), many Americans still aren't entirely comfortable with cuteness in their music. But much like noise, coke-rap, or space-disco, being cute-- kawaii is the Japanese word-- has its own underground aesthetic, offering occasional glimpses of the avant-garde. Japanese ambient duo Lullatone redraw the possibilities of cute music on "Bedroom Bossa Nova", using toy instruments, ultra-detailed homemade production, and child-like imagination as their brightly colored construction paper.

Where the Go! Team's adventure pop and I'm From Barcelona's smiling choirs rely on superabundance, the emphasis here is on space, which shouldn't be surprising given the minimal electronic bent of Lullatone's previous three albums. Think the Boy Least Likely To on a Sigur Rós scale: Shawn James Seymour's halting ukulele is joined by light, ramshackle percussion, as Yoshimi Tomida whispers sleepyhead melodies .  Birds, tiny seeds, and meeting the sky "to say hello" become the most important things in the world for these three minutes. Even Lullatone's "mistakes"-- a missed strum, a shy giggle-- sound like happy accidents. It's great getting wound up, but doesn't Stefani ever miss afternoon naps?