RIDE ON TIME

A kick at the very front of the line—and a cloth marker laid out for an even bigger wave to come. A1 entrusts itself to an understated step beat, while A2 brings the musicians’ individual characters sharply into focus. Then there is ‘Ride On Time,’ Yamashita’s first hit, and the accompanying B-side. Change sides on the record and the mellow face, too, becomes magnificent: B1 is a grand medium-tempo blues, B2 a hero-like number whose approach to the theme of love feels distinctly his own, and B3 a relaxed, floating sound like a walk on air. I want to sleep wrapped in these pleasant sounds, wishing that summer could last forever.