Entering a new decade, singer-songwriter Aimyon refused to abandon the outsider persona she had cultivated in the 2010s. The artist had morphed from a teenager strumming intimate folk sketches about her life after school into one of Japan’s biggest musical presences by 2020. Despite her newfound superstar status, Aimyon asserted her commitment to crafting delicate folk and chugging rock channeling the ‘90s bands she grew up listening to on her third album, Heard That There’s Good Pasta (2020). This became clear almost immediately via the rollicking accordion-accompanied “Remember the Days We’re Talking Rubbish in the Twilight,” an admonition to never settle. That doubled as the mission statement for Heard That There’s Good Pasta. Self-assured in her art, she creates some of the finest folk songs of her career here, focusing on lessons learned from past romance (“Naked Heart”) and scent-based triggers bringing back a flood of memories (“Potpourri Leaf,” “Cigarette”). Aimyon also let her rowdier rock side through on the galloping “Marshmallow” and her funk flag fly on “Morning Sun.” Aimyon’s music on Heard That There’s Good Pasta nods to ‘90s-born acts such as Spitz and Sunny Day Service, artists similarly known for zooming in on the details of a scene to bring out emotion. While her influences come through, her third album really cemented her confidence in her own sound and lyricism. Singles “Harunohi” and “Her Blue Sky” capture Aimyon mastering her signature folk-rock approach, using slow-burn acoustic guitars, rich string sections, and electronic flourishes to transform everyday scenes into soaring meditations on longing and love. Within all of the album’s songs is a drive to keep chasing after what’s just out of reach—an ethos Aimyon embraced.