My last outing with Tokyo Rosenthal on “Who Was That Man”, I really enjoyed his work, found some of it a bit hard to swallow, but overall had a big ear to ear grin on my face when I found Tokyo’s Fifth in my workload. As you may have guessed, this is his fifth album.

If you already know Rosenthal or are meeting him for the first time with this, or any of his other albums, then you’ll find yourself stepping into the familiar norm of his sound. Slide guitar, fiddle, Americana, a storytelling narrative drive in his lyrics, and Rosenthal’s voice, which, as usual, is completely capable of defining each tracks emotional state. From the crushing woes of the economic crunch to the plight of the immigrant, alone and alienated by the new world they find themselves in. Also included on the album is a cover of Helter Skelter from The Beatles.

All in all the album really moved me. I turned off the TV set, closed the curtains, sat back and closed my eyes and just relaxed, soaking it in. This new set of stories is remarkably deep and delivered with the perfect ambient sound to capture the world of words unfolding before you. From my last adventure with Rosenthal I learned that the message is only as deep as your willing to go, so sit back and relax and ponder on the words. Let Rosenthal’s voice guide you and enjoy.