I tried listening to the recommended songs ②
Good work. This is Part 2 of this article.
From the list I received.
This time, it's a mix of Japanese, Western, and anime songs.
By the way, it's a bit late to mention this, but on this account,
I write various music articles, but here is my criteria for how much I like them.
☆10 → Love it, lifetime best level
☆9 → Annual best level
☆8 → Guaranteed heavy rotation
☆7 → Good song, I like it
☆6 → Generally good (this is usually the average)
☆5 → Not bad, but needs a little more
☆4 → Don't dislike it, but not for me
☆3 or below → There is something specific I don't like about it
Something like that. For your reference.
Machu Picchu / Ailiph Doepa
(Like level: ☆☆☆☆☆)
Right off the bat, a song I don't know at all. I've heard the band name before.
I thought it was Western music, but it's domestic. And the members are from my generation. It's been a while since I've listened to this kind of loud rock.
At first, I thought, 'Ah, it's this kind of thing, putting ethnic instruments over loud rock,' but the progression after the 2-minute mark made me go 'What!?' And then that becomes the main focus in the second half. The ending is also chaotic, and I was like, 'What is this?'
To begin with, these guys are really talented. I feel like the playfulness shines precisely because the bass is solid.
But as for whether I like it... sorry...
Sougyaran BAM / Kuko Harai (CV: Shota Hayama)
(Like level: ☆☆☆☆☆☆)
I only know a few songs from HypMic, so I'm not very knowledgeable,
but wait, isn't this produced by Diggy-MO'!! This is a case where my soul goes 'ararara a aa' and 'debedebe dei'.
The chorus faintly reminds me of 'TOKYO Tsushin,' so I'm already diggy-diggying. The transition in the second half is like an official sound MAD.When I looked at the lyrics, I thought it was garbled text.
But since I can hear what's being said to some extent, maybe it's for Diggy beginners.
By the way, my favorite SOUL'd OUT song on this account is 'MEGALOPOLIS PATROL'.
WI ING WI ING / HYUKOH
(Like level: ☆☆☆☆☆☆)
Apparently, they are a Korean band. I've only followed rock sounds like Paranoul from there, so I'm happy to know one more.
A dramatic progression where the band sound gradually enters from the bossa nova-style guitar and vocal intro. The guitar cutting is stylish throughout.
The vocal's voice is quite husky, which is a feature. They use a lot of falsetto in the chorus, though. I thought it was a very lyrical song throughout, and I strongly feel the swaying of emotions.
It ends up being a reverse recommendation to the person who recommended this song to me, but it somehow reminded me ofa song by the band 'Shonan Tanteidan'. Please check it out if you'd like.
higimidari / Midnight Tour
(Like level: ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆)
I love this!! This was my first time hearing it too.
It's a danceable track where a band sound is layered over a floaty electro sound. It's the type of song I'd want to hear in a small venue. Now that city pop has gained mainstream popularity, it might resonate with a lot of people.
The overall sound has an indie feel, or rather, there are quite a few parts where I thought, "(I get what you're trying to do, but) wait, what's going on with the mix?!" so this Live ver might be better in terms of listenability.
Regarding the chord progression throughout the song and the guitar riff that plays the whole time, it personally reminded me of Base Ball Bear's "Tabibito In The Dark".
AWOKE / DOLLCHESTRA
(Like level: ☆☆☆☆)
Apparently, this is a unit from Hasunosora Girls' High School Idol Club, the new Love Live! project. Does this mean it's the fifth installment in the series following Superstar? I know Kotoko Sasaki is in it.
The composition involves Kanaata Okajima, who has provided songs for the K-pop scene and Daichi Miura. Recently, she also did the song for Nogizaka that was a total Butter homage.
So, I was imagining a sound along those lines, but the world-building is surprisingly goth. Yet, the band sound, especially the drums, is raw rock. It's a good trend for the series to be able to play new cards like this. (Personally, I find Liella! a bit conservative, so I'm not really into them.) It's also wonderful that it ends shortly at 3 minutes.
It wasn't that it was a bad song, but simply as a matter of personal taste, it wasn't for me. However, I was curious about the album it's included in, so I gave it a quick listen and it was actually quite good. I like "Dream Believers" and "Suisai Sekai".
It uses a lot of strings, so the direction feels somewhat like Sakamichi series music.
WATER BLUE NEW WORLD / Aqours
(Like level: ☆☆☆☆☆☆)
A grand piece with a running time of 5:43.
According to the person who recommended it, it's a song with a ton of key changes.
After listening to it all the way through, I thought, "Is this a song that summarizes Love Live! and Love Live! Sunshine!!?" Then I found out it was actually used in the final stages of the anime. I did watch Sunshine!! when it was airing, but I have almost no memory of the plot (sorry).
In fact, the lyrics are about "carving out the present and heading toward the future," a positive message. I wonder if passing through this milestone of a song became the basis for expanding the musical range in Nijigasaki. Even if I'm just pretending to know what I'm talking about.
Within that, the dizzying key changes also sound like "the protagonists moving forward while struggling."
Also, regarding those key changes, it's good that the progression "doesn't fall apart as a song." It's sudden and abrupt, but not forced (this is just my personal impression). It changes keys 15 times, right? There are parts that feel like dominant keys, and parts with half-step movements that I don't really understand. For now, I think the base key is D at the beginning and end. If I were to break this down and analyze it, I could probably write a whole article, but I'm not capable of that, so I'll stop. I'll leave the theory to someone else.
Also, the pronunciation of "WATER BLUE" was very native-like, which made me chuckle a bit. It's probably a phrasing issue, though.
As for my preference... I'm not sure. I receive the ambition behind it, but maybe I don't feel that much love for things that are "Love Live!-esque songs."
Suimen ni Piano / Riko Sakurauchi (CV. Rikako Aida)
(Like level: ☆☆☆☆☆☆)
I don't remember what kind of character this was (sorry to her fans).
I thought it would be a quiet song based on the title, but it's a full-blown anime-style rock tune. As the title suggests, the piano tone adds flair to the song. In terms of the members, it gives me a Guilty Kiss vibe. Like Guilty Kiss without the metal?
I thought it was a high-standard song that is well-put-together, for better or worse.
Thank you to everyone who gave me recommendations.
I am still looking for your favorite songs, so please let me know if you'd like.
If you don't mind me not just praising them, I will write these kinds of casual impressions at some point.
See you in the next article.