Reviews: 12/10 New Releases

REVIEWS: Review time again! As it gets closer and closer to Xmas, I'm running out of winter ballads. I'm still haven't found one that totally knocks my socks off... maybe next year. This week none of the tracks are especially wintery, well except for Shuuchishin newie but ... well read the review. I also review new tracks from Porno Graffitti, RSP, Tommy heavenly6 and H!P's newest unit Shugo Chara Egg!

Koyoi, Tsuki ga Miezutomo Porno Graffitti

Porno Graffitti are sort of entering a new chapter of their singing career, coming off their successful BEST ACE/JOKER albums released last month. They kick off this phase with Koyoi, Tsuki ga Meizutomo which is the ending theme for the third BLEACH anime film (Bleach: Fade to Black –Kimi no Na wo Yobu-).
The song has a great sound to it throughout; it’s an upbeat, energetic song with some rock and synth elements. It really is very high energy from start to finish … It must be a bitch to perform lol so all credit to Okano who does really well vocally. The song is really going for that exciting, upbeat sound, but for me I would have liked a little more variety in the instrumental. It tends to maintain pretty much the same energy throughout, there’s no highs or lows, it’s much of the same all the way through. It’s still a pumping track though and a great start for this new chapter for Porno Graffitti.

Rating: 8/10

LA.LA.LA LOVE SONG ~Koko kara Hajimaru Koi Monogatari~ RSP

LA LA LA LOVE SONG ~blah blah~ (lol) is RSP’s first single since their debut album DICE which was released a little earlier this year. The track sees the girls (+dancers) team up with DA BUBBLE GUM BROTHERS and is a cover of a Toshinobu Kubota song.
One thing I love about RSP are the edgy vocals of Saki and Ai. They both sound very unique and give RSP their own unique vocal sound. Unfortunately we’re bombarded by DA BUBBLE GUM BROTHERS who are some old dudes who rap. I’m not really sure why the girls just couldn’t rap themselves, we all know they can… urgh wateva. In regards to the song, it’s a great track. Very catchy with a bit of a disco beat but still maintaining that street feel that RSP have. Maybe on their next album they’ll have an RSP only ver of this track? I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

Rating:7.5/10

Minna no Tamago Shugo Chara Egg!

Ah~! ‘tis a debut single from a new H!P group! Shugo Chara Egg!’s Minna no Tamago is the opening for the new season of Shugo Chara (Doki!!) and is very much inspired by the colourful anime.
I always love when new groups debut and this one has one of my fav eggs Wada Ayaka in it! Unfortunately pretty much my whole fandom of DAWA was based on her cute performances where I hadn’t really heard her sing solo. This song sort of crashes my pure image of her. Everytime she opens her mouth I feel like sticking a gun in mine -_-; Oh well, I still love ya DAWA! (even if you can’t sing) -_- The other girls are all very cute and it’s generally just a fun, childish song. It’s not the most terrific song to ever grace H!P but for its purpose it does well.

Rating:7/10

PAPERMOON Tommy heavenly6

PAPERMOON is Tomoko Kawase’s new single and her first since release as Tommy heavenly6 since Heavy Starry Heavenly back in early ’07. It’s good to have heavenly back!
To be honest, the track is a pretty conventional Tommy rock track but I still really enjoy it. For me the song is very upbeat and catchy, the chorus in particular has a great sound to it – but I do really like the whole track. Tommy’s vocals go a long way – she is a pleasure to listen to, especially when she really goes for it. The rock instrumental is pretty good, if not totally original, and it works well with the track.
Perhaps one of the very exciting things about this release is IW’s fav gaijin rocker Elec (LAVERITE) appears in the Wizard of Oz themed PV, rockin’ out as the scarecrow. It’s a pretty nifty PV so check it out:

Rating: 8.5/10

Yowamushi SANTA Shuuchishin

Everyone’s favourite Shuuchishin has a Christmas track which is almost certain to rocket to no.1 … yay! (-_-; ) … lol I don’t watch Hexagon so I don’t really ‘get’ the appeal of these dudes but each to their own I guess.
Yowamushi SANTA is pretty dodgy. I’m sorry lol, but it just is. Firstly the guys can’t really sing very well, which I can look past if the song is good (hell, I’m a H!P fan) … but the song just isn’t anything special either. It’s like a mid tempo sway session song … what a bore. The chorus is kind of catchy I guess, I’ll give it that. It might work on the whole retro tv song level – I can totally picture this being sung on their show. It’s not bad, I mean I can listen to it, but it’s just a very average song – so I’m giving it a very average rating.

Rating:5/10