HY – HeartY

1. 散歩に行こう
2. 未来
3. 小さな優しさ
4. ベンジャミンベンジャミン
5. Cheaters
6. Y&I
7. 二階の奥の部屋
8. 0453
9. 出会い
10. この子達のために
11. ビLOカナVEナスエル
12. 366日
13. 青い地球

I first looked into HY after hearing about their charting success despite being an indie band. To say the least, I was intrigued. Most of the time, when a band makes it big, they sign big contracts and live happily ever after. But not HY. Apparently, they’re still signed onto a small, independent label and are continuing to rock on in their own way. So admittedly I checked out their latest album, HeartY, in hopes of discovering their secret. What I found instead was a strange combination of soft rock, ballads, jazz, and R&B. Needless to say, I was taken aback.

In all honesty, it took me about a week to get through the album, listening to it a few tracks at a time. The problem was that the slew of ballads were putting me to sleep (my fault for shuffling the tracks). And maybe more importantly, I was sorely disappointed. I was expecting something more erratic, more outlandish, to explain the band’s decision to remain indie. Their music, though of high quality, is something, I feel, not uncommon to the Jpop scene.

So why have I bothered with this entry if I’m not feeling their songs? The answer: Izumi Nakasone. All those who label Ayumi Hamasaki, Koda Kumi, Namie Amuro, or BoA as best female vocalist need to sit down and listen to Izumi. Her voice is simply amazing — strong, versatile, captivating. I didn’t so much listen to the songs as I did listen to her voice.

That said, in addition to the various ballads showcasing Izumi’s voice — “Y&I”, “366日” — I quite enjoyed the soft rock track “この子達のために” and the R&B/rap track “Cheaters”, if only for its breath of freshness from the slower songs.

Watch (or listen? I can’t tell, YouTube is crapping out on me at the moment) Izumi strut her stuff after the jump.

aobozu – FORESTONE

1. Esto
2. ハローグッバイ
3. コイントス
4. ピースサイン
5. 僕は狂ってなどいない
6. 空を作りたくなかった
7. 羽化の羽(FORESTONE Ver.)
8. 不滅の太陽
9. 深く潜れ
10. 言葉の森
11. アジサイ

What to say about aobozu, other than that they’re great? I’ve gone from casually listening to some of their tracks to repeating them on my playlist. They’ve nailed the combination that I love so dearly — calm, melodic rock with some proper oomph. While it may seem trivial, some bands tend to veer towards one of the two extremes, either putting me to sleep or tearing my eardrums apart.

Onto favourite tracks, I found myself gravitating towards the more lighthearted“アジサイ” simply because its melody sounds so familiar. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it definitely rings a bell. Either way, it’s got a great summery feel which couldn’t be more appropriate, what with summer just one month away. “言葉の森” delivers my daily rock dosage and is just amazing all the way through (although this could be applied to more than one track), especially with the guitar riff halfway through.

But of the tracks that I found favourable — including “ハローグッバイ”, “ピースサイン”, and “コイントス” — there is one true winner: “空を作りたくなかった”. It’s simply so tranquil, so serene — I think it could quality as a nocturne. Yet, it maintains that balance perfectly with the electric guitar kicking in at the chorus. The whispering at the end, in particular, gets me every time. Even after 20 listens, it still gives me shivers. It’s that good.

I think I listed just about every track — except “僕は狂ってなどいない” because of its creepy circus vibe — so that should be some indication of the album’s quality. Not only that, but the album’s diversity almost guarantees that you’ll find something likable. And if/when you do, it’ll be absolutely fantastic. YouTube after the jump.

OGRE YOU ASSHOLE – OGRE YOU ASSHOLE

1. また明日
2. ﾕｰﾚｲ
3. ﾀﾆｼ
4. ｶｲｾﾝﾄｳ
5. ｶﾎﾟ
6. どっちかの角
7. ﾛﾎﾞﾄﾐｰ
8. J.n

I first mentioned/noticed OGRE YOU ASSHOLE for their contribution to the compilation freebie Playlist 11 NEXT ROCK ON. Since then, I’ve been familiarizing myself with their discography, hoping to find something which rubs me the right way as “コインランドリー”. So far, no luck — until I came upon their first album and had a good listen.

My initial impression of OGRE YOU ASSHOLE, especially with a name like that, was something of a rebellious and devil-may-care kind of band. But this album really changed my perception of them. Firstly, there is a great deal of diversity and creativity present, making it difficult and unfair to pigeonhole them into a particular genre and/or image. Secondly, with tracks like “また明日” and “ﾕｰﾚｲ”, which feature delicate melodies unprecedented for a band with such a vulgar name, one just has to admire their musical talent. The guitar plucking in particular just kills it.

Along with the two tracks already mentioned, “ﾛﾎﾞﾄﾐｰ” is another favourite. In addition to the reason already given — amazing guitar plucking — the three songs are less frantic, complimenting the singer’s voice. I know I give tsubaki’s lead vocalist hell, but Manabu Deto’s voice is even more of an acquired taste. It can be unnerving at times, especially at high volumes, but at low levels, it serves to add character.

No YouTube videos for the songs off this album, but their MySpace has a handful of songs. The titles have been translated, so I don’t know if any of them happen to be from the album, but it’s worth a listen.

CD Japan
Amazon JP
HMV JP

tsubaki – 覚醒ワールド Revisited

1. 覚めた生活
2. 悲しみの中からはじめよう
3. 亡霊ﾀﾞﾝｽ
4. 青い月
5. さよなら､嘘つきな二人
6. ﾎﾞｰﾀﾞﾚｽ
7. money & honey
8. coffee
9. ﾀﾌﾞﾚｯﾄ
10. 羽の在処

This is a first. Normally I rely on my first instinct for songs — which is usually right — but for tsubaki’s latest album, I just had to give it another chance. Partly because I’m a tsubaki stan and partly because I feel my hasty review did not do the album justice.

After listening to the album almost daily over the past month, a few tracks have really grown on me. And those are “悲しみの中からはじめよう”,“coffee”, “覚めた生活”, and “ﾀﾌﾞﾚｯﾄ”. Granted, there are still some I absolutely can’t stand – “ﾎﾞｰﾀﾞﾚｽ”, “money & honey” — but for the most part the songs are rather catchy. But the latter two of my list are definitely my absolute favourites. The reason? Well, simply great songwriting, a real strength of the band. But the second reason is the lead vocalist, Isshiki Noriyasu. For me, he embodies the qualities of a real rock star. As previously mentioned, his voice isn’t exactly fantastic — in fact, it’s nasally and at times downright grating — but to paraphrase Gene Simmons loosely, “It’s not how well you sing, but how you sing.” That couldn’t be more true for Isshiki. Although his voice has improved drastically over the years, and particular from the last album, it’s still by no means a Grammy winner. But his attitude is really what seals the deal, his delivery and tone infusing personality into the songs and making them his — and the band’s — own.

But is the album worth buying? As much as I’d love to convince everyone to support the band, I’d have to say a reluctant no. Firstly, I still stand by my original statement that this, overall, is not the band’s best. And secondly, for the reason given beforehand, it’s probably not the best way for new fans to get into them. However, if you are a tsubaki band, then it’s a must-buy, if only for “覚めた生活” and “ﾀﾌﾞﾚｯﾄ” which are among the best songs in their discography (speaking of this, Portrait+, and their best compilation).

CD Japan
YesAsia
HMV JP

Yasutomo Chikuma’s Now, I…

Leave it up to Jason Gray to discover gems of Japanese cinema. After alerting the English-speaking world about the superb This World of Ours, Jason has yet another winner on his hands — Yasutomo Chikuma (竹馬靖具監督)’s Now I (Ima, Boku wa / 今、僕は), screened in the Nippon Digital section of this year’s Nippon Connection.

Satoru is a so-called NEET (“not engaged in employment, education or training”), living the life of a recluse in his mother’s apartment. One day Tôsawa appears and attempts to draw him out of his inner prison. Soon the situation escalates…

Nippon Connection

The subject matter alone is enough to pique my interest, but with the added praise for the camerawork and especially acting, this looks like my kind of film. I’ve always been attracted to films about aimless and despairing youths — All About Lily Chou-Chou, Harmful Insect — maybe because I see fragments of myself projected onto the screen. Whatever the reason, and whatever the incentive for the rise of new filmmakers tackling contemporary issues, I welcome it. Hopefully this one will find its way through the festival circuit to VIFF.

Plastic Tree – アローンアゲイン、ワンダフルワールド

1. アローンアゲイン、ワンダフルワールド
2. サイケデリズム
3. はじめてのXXX

I know they say not to judge a book by its cover, or in this case, a band by their name, but I had a pretty good feeling about Plastic Tree going into their latest single. Maybe it’s because of the slew of mediocre albums I’ve been listening to lately, but アローンアゲイン、ワンダフルワールド (Alone Again, Wonderful World) is undoubtedly a solid effort.

No, it’s more than that. The single, which marks the band’s 15th anniversary, is a fantastic effort. After all, with all those years of experience, they’re bound to get it right. And they do — on the vocals, instrumentals, everything. Even “はじめてのXXX“, a playful/casual dialogue track with helium-pitched background vocals accompanied by an electronic beat and light drumming, is surprisingly listenable. However, it’s mostly a novelty effect and wears off after a few listens.

Which is not a bad thing at all, given that the two other tracks are probably more deserving of attention. I’m hardly a heavy metal fan, but “サイケデリズム” does a great job of combining the heavy-hitting sound with the vocalist’s melodic voice. In fact, I’m quite fond of the vocalist (Ryutarou Arimura). His voice is somewhat soothing — dare I say, ethereal — and never resorts to the full-out screaming that others are sometimes prone to. I guess it has to do with the fact that the instrumentals are subdued when he’s singing, making it sound as if he’s singing above the music, instead of with — and being drowned out by — the music. Of course, whether or not this floats your boat is subjective.

I had a hard time finding a favourite track to begin with, but now the definite winner is “アローンアゲイン、ワンダフルワールド”. The steady strumming of an electric guitar and/or the hitting of drums or cymbals is dispersed throughout to form the beat. However, the song is prevented from sounding too fragmented by transitioning seamlessly to and from a more — for the lack of a better word — upbeat segment, namely the chorus. Of course, all this is helped along by the vocalist, whose voice is all the more pacifying in the brief harmonizing bits.

Overall, this is a pretty great single and serves as an appropriate milestone. I’ll definitely be looking more into this band and I hope you will too. Just as a final note, the CD only and CD+DVD versions have different tracklists — the CD version is listed above, while the CD+DVD lacks the final track and includes instrumentals for the first two. If you’ve got some spare cash lying around, I say go for the CD+DVD. The last track is pretty much a filler so the DVD might do you more good. Title track PV after the jump.

Ruby Gloom – Siren

1. Siren (サイレン)
2. My treasure
3. Siren ~Instrumental~
4. My treasure ~Instrumental~

Normally I try to avoid bad music, or at least blogging about it, but this time I’ll make an exception, on the grounds that I feel it’s my duty to make sure no one has to endure the kind of torture I just experienced in the past 7 minutes.

This single is bad. So, so bad. I can’t even think of words to describe this complete trainwreck. The songs themselves are an utter mess — although strangely the b-side, “My treasure” to a lesser extent — but the vocals are what really kill it. Nana Kitade, going by the pseudonym Ruby Gloom here, has permanently damaged my ears. Her voice is weak and thin, high-pitched and screechy but still manages to burst eardrums. That is some real mana power right there.

I think what’s even more perplexing than the fact that this actually got printed — and as the theme song for an upcoming imported animation no less! — is that it marks Nana Kitade’s 11th single. How did she get this far with that voice? How?! Okay, maybe she doesn’t sound like this normally — I sure hope not — but I’m not about to take my chances and find out. I think a little part of me died listening to this. Please, avoid at all costs.