She’ll take you for a night flight.

While I’ll usually be found saying Shimatani Hitomi has one of the most beautiful voices Japanese pop can offer, I also think Sakamoto Maaya can claim that distinction as well.

Her voice isn’t powerful and passionate, leaving you with a feeling of being lifted; nor is it delicate and light, touching lightly on your ears before dancing away. Rather, it strikes a balance between the two extremes, and the fact that her breath intakes are often left in the final track add a touch of reality to her sound, contrasting against the ethereal or ethnic music she often works with thanks to composer Kanno Yoko.

While night flights can be associated with romance or tiredness, Maaya’s latest mini-album, 30minutes night flight, lacks both elements, instead offering an easy listening sort of sound. As advertised, the album clocks in at half an hour (.02 seconds under, if you’re seriously counting) with six tracks and one reprise, all featuring the same easygoing feel that makes it hard to not enjoy this mini-album. Unless, of course, you have an adversity to slow music. (Don’t worry, I don’t blame you.)