Purple lights filled the Wiltern as the crowd slowly grew in size and cramped together. As the opener of American Football’s tour, Mei Semones’ role that evening was to warm up the crowd for what was to come, and I can assure you she did just that.
Opening with “Itsumo,” released in 2025, the stand-alone plucking of the guitar felt almost flamenco in its essence, instantly capturing the crowd’s attention and preparing us for the intricate musicality to come. Her voice came in along with the rest of the band’s instruments: Ransom McCafferty on drums, Noam Tanzer on bass, Claudius Agrippa on violin, and Noah Leong on viola — all bandmates who met during their time at Berklee College of Music with Semones. The expertise of her band made their schooling apparent and reflected Semones’ life-long dedication to music.
Her voice, just like the recorded versions, was precise, sweet, and crystal clear — gorgeously complementing the entrancing melodies of her jazz-rock sound. The first track showcased what her discography entails: meticulous guitar playing alongside beautiful lyrics in both English and Japanese.
The second track, “Kurayami,” had a darker sound with more violin, drums, and, as always, great bass line and guitar riffs. That melody harmoniously blended with her vocals and unique jazz yet grunge-style rhythms, which feel like her signature. In the fan favorite, “Dumb Feeling,” her sweet voice contrasts with the larger and more intense sounds of the chorus, which encapsulated the distinctiveness of her music. The orchestral building and falling of instrumentals in “Dumb Feeling” took me through a wave of daydreams, ranging from very flouncy moments that feel like skipping through grass, contrasted by rain on concrete. The song’s changing nature feels like our oscillating feelings in life, ups and downs, and embracing small moments:
“This is a dumb feeling
There’s something I like about it”
“Love when the train comes to my stop
I won't try to fight it
Let the dust settle on me
I'll stay still just to spite it”
Semones continued with more tracks from her 2025 album, Animaru, such as “I can do what I want,” “Tora Moyo,” and “Rat With Wings.” “I can do what I want” was an energizing and encouraging track to play mid-show. She continued on with “Tora Moyo,” a track that I believe reflects one of the most unique parts of her sound. She uses her voice like an instrument, often singing along with each note rather than making separate sounds. “Rat With Wings” provided us with more stripped-down moments and an emotional look at Semones’ raw talent and beautiful voice. The song captures what I believe feels like thinking back on old memories and having them flood our minds just to reminisce, but not as a way of returning back to that place.
As her set came towards its close, she played “Kodoku,” which quickly became a new favorite of mine, fluctuating between gentle and grand sounds. The track had a coming-of-age feel to it by gradually growing and crescendoing into a fullness that feels like the closing of a film. Like many of her songs, rather than ending on such a large note, the track pulls back and simplifies, making the endings softer and letting the tracks and her performance end lightly.
Check out Mei Semones’ discography here:
