Kroi – “Jewel”

Shoutout to whoever is in charge of the sync placements for Japanese funk-rock band Kroi (Leo Uchida, Masanori Seki, Yuki Hasebe, Hidetomo Masuda, and Daiki Chiba). They’re putting in some serious work. On its own, Kroi’s very underrated album Unspoiled, which was released this year, is already filled with bangers that will get you moving. But due to a number of choice placements for a few of its singles – “Hyper,” “Sesame,” and “Water Carrier” – Kroi has been stealthily soundtracking OPs for a new generation of anime fans. It works well, too. Just take a look at some of the eye-catching openings that have been produced. In most cases, Kroi’s music is energetic and groovy, armed with a melodic punch that’s designed to get you excited for what’s coming next.

But on their latest track, “Jewel,” Kroi proves that they’re not just great at creating sweltering hype jams – it seems like they can slow it down as well.

“Jewel” is currently being used as the theme song for the Japanese drama Okura: The Investigation of Cold Cases, and it finds Kroi at their coziest. A rare ballad for the band, it’s a stripped-back track that plays a bit into piano-driven jazz before leaping headfirst into pleasantly breezy pop. It’s definitely a change of pace for the band – just compare this one to basically anything from Unspoiled. Accompanying the song is also a comfortable video of the band jamming out in a living room while a dog lounges around and a woman has breakfast in an armchair. I’d say it’s a perfect mood setter for fall and winter… and not just for Showa-era detective procedurals.

“Jewel” is out now via IRORI Records.

Kroi’s latest live album, Kroi Live at Nippon Budokan, is out now via IRORI Records.

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