|| FensePost ||"Flannel is one of those spacey pop bands, dabbling lightly in dreamy shoe-gaze-like moments. The music paints a colorful sunset much like that found on the cover of Dear Something, Dear Someone. It’s the perfect album to listen to through headphones while staring up at the sky as the sun is setting; it’s very peaceful. With tight percussion, reverb-filled vocals, and softly distorted guitars, songs like “Drops” and “Saving This Moment” and “Yesterday’s Crane” hint of Swedish artists like The Radio Dept circa Lesser Matters. Flannel, however, differs from such groups in that Dear Something, Dear Someone closely follows the DIY and lo-fi categorizations. Also contrary to acts like The Radio Dept, Flannel lives up to the bedroom pop name; along with being lo-fi, the songs tend to me much slower and softer with a few minor exceptions. One exception is the upbeat, uptempo “Spring Time”, which features a double-time beat but remains soft and light in the instrumentation and vocals. For fans of Swedish pop, Flannel fits the mold—Swedish pop tends to be a bit homogenous in that it tends to have that distinct “Swedish Pop” sound. The big surprise is that Flannel is not from Sweden. Nor are they from the US. They’re from Japan! "

|| It's Not The Bands I Hate, It's Their Fans ||"Flannel is a one man lo-fi indie pop artist from Japan that has recently been signed to Series Two Records in Nebraska. STR is a CD-R label that I have grown quite fond of since they continually send me some top quality material by artists that I have never heard of. Flannel, (aka Tomohiro) recorded Dear Something, Dear Someone from start to finish in his bedroom, and his gifts become immediately recognizable on the first track Spill, which has a definite Smiley Smile in its melody, and a precious amateur muffle in its delivery. Track three is called You Should Take Your Time, and it reminds me of some of the work that M83 has done this year, paying homage to some of the great music of the 80's. (Yes, I know that the 80's, for the most part, was not something to brag about, but I'm sure you get which 80's output I'm talking about.) The song immediately transports me into a John Hughes movie, and you can mock me all you want, but that's one place where I always feel welcome. Saving This Moment is a slow dance, with a slight ringing surf guitar chiming in from time to time. Spring Time is a contrast in that it is a fast dance, sounding like a unique mash up of some song lifted from a 60's British Invasion band, smooshed together with some New Wave synths. Those very synths show themselves again in Where Before The Water Becomes The Stream, displaying a Charlatans sound, while Light and Slow Waltz is a little bit more OMD. Basically, this CD is something that could be very inaccessible left in more incapable hands, or way too radio friendly left in others. The strange combination of easy to absorb melody and pretty much indecipherable lyrics, makes Flannel's debut an immediately likable release that is still shrouded in enough mystery to keep you coming back."

|| A Free Man ||"Last, but not least, is the latest offering from one of A Free Man’ s favorite indie labels - Series Two. Known for their Swedish acts, Series Two seems to be branching into Asia. Flannel is a Japanese guy working out of his bedroom and, in the spirit of guys working out of their bedrooms, is making some surprisingly good introspective pop music. His debut LP, “Dear Something, Dear Someone” is available from Series Two."

|| AZLTRON ||"Flannel is a one man indie-pop unit hailing from japan. The influences of which range from shoe gaze to new wave. At times it sounds like what a collaboration between the Jesus & Mary Chain's instrumentation and production style channeled through Pet Shop Boy's pop song structure. On another track the Cure and the Smiths' melodic pop springs to mind. If you're down for some buoyant indie-pop, Flannel is worth a listen."

|| Alankomaat (from Netherlands) ||"In augustus verschijnt het tweede soloalbum van Neil Halstead van Mojave 3, een van mijn favoriete bands. Het komt uit bij Brushfire Records, het label van Jack Johnson. Ehm, tja. Halstead toert deze zomer ook met Johnson. Ik begrijp die combinatie wel, maar de muziek van Halstead gaat toch wel heel wat dieper dan die van beachboy Johnson... Een beetje in de sfeer van Halstead: Flannel uit Japan. Het debuutalbum Dear Something, Dear Someone van Tomohiro - want zo heet de jongen die achter Flannel schuilgaat - is uitgekomen bij het fijne Series Two Records."