Sofie Birch’s “Inner Music” is both a self-portrait and a magical talisman. Featuring a diverse array of guest musicians, the album centers on bossa nova—the genre she describes as the music that soothes her soul more than anything else—and fuses it with psychedelic pop, Fourth World jazz, chamber music, and vocal music through an innocent and playful use of sound. As she herself describes it as “The Page of Cups,” images of flowers, stars, secret caves, fortune-telling, and mythology appear throughout the 13 tracks. Enveloped in the soft texture and atmospheric quality achieved through cassette tape mastering, this is one of Stroom’s finest organic pop works. Soothing music that feels as though it comes from somewhere far away. The first pressing of this release is already sold out at the label. (Original Japanese text by Adachi)