Yotogi Banashi(Single)
Note: Interestingly, "otogi banashi" means "fairy tale" in Japanese. So, "yotogi banashi" means something like "dark fairy tale." I think that's pretty damn cool. This info is courtesy of Go over at jrocknyc, so I recommend you read his review as well. Plus, his site just rocks. ^__^
1. gekka sousou
We open with some nice acoustics and Isshi singing lightly, but then the song suddenly becomes a little harder. Nice driving percussion, and some cool guitar work. The best parts are when Isshi is singing in harmony with himself. His voice is so strong in this song! The verses are kind of nondescript, but still nice. The chorus is actually pretty cool, but peters out at the end. I do love the combination of acoustic and electric guitar in this song, though. As you'd expect, it somehow feels modern and very traditional at the same time. It's a good song, but by Kagrra's standards it feels a little subpar. Very enjoyable, just not special.
Rating: 3
2. amafurase tanmaina
Whee! This is definitely the best song on the single. It opens with these creepy, cultist sounding voices chanting "amafurase tanmaina" over and over, getting louder by the minute. It's actually pretty scary. They're accompanied by some ethnic drums. Then the guitars and bass enter, the voices fade out, and Isshi starts singing. The melody is simple and rather dark at first, but then begins to build. The chorus.... it is just so cool! Isshi makes these huge, difficult vocal jumps into his falsetto and back down, and during all this the backing instruments are pushing everything forward. Then, we get an acoustic guitar solo (yay!) that is hauntingly beautiful and very mysterious. I really am a sucker for this kind of thing. Another verse, another refrain of the chorus. This time, most of the instrumentation drops out, so you get a good chance to hear how great Isshi sounds. I absolutely adore this song. It's the best thing Kagrra has done since 'gozen'. Oh, and the cultist voices come back at the end. ^__^
Rating: 5
3. kisai
At least, I think that's how the title should be romanized. It opens with bass and some synthed in instruments, then the band enters. This song is actually really upbeat and has less of that traditional "neo-japonesque" feel. The melody is still very Japanese, but the arrangement is not. Oh, and there are shouting voices, a la X Japan!! *shocked* The chorus is okay but nothing very special. Parts of this actually remind me of a Pierrot song, but not a very good one. Ah well. It's a fun track, but of all the songs, this one is the weakest. It just feels a little lazy and uncreative to me.
Rating: 3
