Hiroki – “Rain for a Year” will immediately make itself at home in your heart

Portland, OR – Setting the scene with an acapella of lush vocal harmonies, Hiroki’s “Rain for a Year” will immediately make itself at home in your heart. Warm and rich guitars are the fire in the hearth while deep bass sets the table. The drums make certain that everything is tidy, all the while, an elegantly played piano provides all the familiar comforts of home. Like the title suggests, “Rain for a Year” is a song about rain, as the Asian duo hails from the Pacific Northwest where rain can be found for much of the year.

If you’ve ever lived in an environment as such, you quickly realize how precious the summer sun can be. This song is a love letter of longing for that summer sun. As the pages turn and the layers are peeled away, it’s easy to find multiple meanings in this wonderfully timed piece of art. 2020 brought us much turmoil, and perhaps this is more of a metaphorical rain for a year coupled with a yearning for brighter, more hopeful days.

It’s not a stretch to imagine that this song is also about good old fashioned love and how sometimes we can find ourselves waiting for it to finally bloom. Regardless of your take behind the true meaning of the lyrics, the song delivers some certainties. The vocal performances are incredible and demand attention. The instrumentation is masterfully executed. The production is well thought-out and rewarding. The greatest takeaway from this song – “Rain for a Year” from Hiroki is just simply beautiful.

Led by the Filipino/Korean duo of Salvatore Manalo and Matt Brewster, Hiroki is a band from Portland, OR focused solely on grooves, vibes, and good times. “Rain for a Year” marks their seventh single release, and their first EP is on the horizon. Every song they release has its own mood, and with differing musical backgrounds, each member of the band brings their own personal flavor to the sweet recipe of soul. The result is something smooth, something tasty, and something undeniably enjoyable.