I needed time, to understand this album, and even now I'm not entirely sure about some songs. Maybe I find them mildly catching now, but in few months I won't even remember them; there are some of them I don't remember even now, in this exact moment.
But I usally write what I think about the new albums after a week or so, so let's do this! I'll talk about the singles included too, since I've never spent a word about them (spoiler: because I honestly don't have much to say about 3/4 of them. It was a bad year, single-wise).
I dislike the covers. All three of them. They look cheap and messy and I don't get why in one of them they're dressed as astronauts. Thankfully the one I'll buy -the regular one- it's the simpler one (veeeeeery simple); I still don't like it, but it's less chaotic. But I know better than judge a book from its cover: ugly covers do not necessarily mean ugly albums.
And I have to make a premise: after the first listening, only 2 songs caught my attention. The others sounded all really bland and I was quite worried I wouldn't have liked this album at all O_O
High Spirits: the last time Kanjani opened an album with an instrumental track was for 8Uppers, wich actually needed one because of the movie. I like they used one once again and I like the one they used: it matches well with the rest of the album. I hope they'll use it to open the jam sessions during the tour and not just as an opening! Also, a lot of armonica.
Katte ni Shiagare: again, a lot of armonica. This album doesn't have many 'strong' songs, but the ones it has... ARE strong. Not strong in a somewhat aggressive way, like the ones from Jukebox, for example, but more... fun? Katte ni Shiagare is quite catchy and fun, the performances will hopefully be the same!
Gamushara Koshinkyoku: first single. I don't hate it, it has some nice parts, but I really don't like most of the chorus and when they sing the school bell melody, I JUST REALLY DON'T LIKE THAT PART. Nothing particulary good anyway, from that single I liked waaaaaaaay more Tsugi no Harudesu.
Infinity: mess. I'm listening to it again for writing this review and I just can't, it's SO loud. Subaru wrote the lyrics.
Barintan: music by Yasu and lyrics by Hina and I think this is the first time he contributed to an album? Like, the first time he wrote something. The melody is typically upbeat/cute Yasu, and while I don't have a full translation, from what I can guess with my (very) limited knowledge of Japanese, I'd say the meaning is pretty 'Japanese': let's work hard everyday, take a lot of crap, be sad and down, but then we all get together and get genki with our tamborines. And that's why, in the performance, they're dressed like Tyroleans and bang on the tamborines. I HATED the performance. While I agree with the fact that, even if they're all in their thirties, it doesn't mean they have to be all serious and 'grown up'... I don't want to see them jumping with tamborines dressed in short pants and high socks and weird hats. Still, I like the song, it's really catchy.
Tsuyoku Tsuyoku Tsuyoku: second single. This song goes straight in the bunch of 'ballads'/slower songs they're often doing in these years; a bunch where we can find songs like 365nichi Kazoku, Namida no Kotae, Omoidama etc. They're not bad but, uhm, they're doing a lot of them and they're whiny. This one has also a quite loud chorus. Meh.
Spare Key: this is one of the 2 songs that caught my attention at the first listening. It's really normal, but the first time I listened to it I almost got teary eyed. Unlike Tsuyokux3, it's one of those ballads not whiny, not loud, with no Subaru shrieking in the distance. I like it a lot.
CloveR: third single. I don't understand why they decided to put this song after Spare Key. I'm here wiping my eyes after Spare Key and then "C to R ga koi shitaraaaa". Like... why. I felt weird. I don't particularly like this one either. It's quite cute but they're always dressed in a weird way and the dance is weird too. I don't know, I don't see them doing this kind of songs.
Nai Nai I Love You: this time too, we have the 'vintage' song. It's a genre I like, and the 'nai nai nai' part has been stuck into my head for DAYS. It also reminds me of an Italian tv show set in the '60s, the sound is that one.
WASABI: the strongest song of the album, the more energetic one. Also one of my favorites, I love bathing in this typical Eito sound.Please tell me I'm not the only one who thinks it's incredibly similar to Bruleé.
Nantoka Naru sa: boring. I never remind how it sounds, and when I listen to it I can't get to the end of it because it's always the same.
Maemuki Scream!: fourth single. Jesus Christ, how much I hate this song. It's terribly loud. Burn it with fire.
Itta Janaika: fifth single. And the only one single I really liked this year. I LOVE this song. And not because of Gomenne Seishun (although it was perfect for it), but because it just sounds... right. It's perfect. And the lyrics, even if exaggerated in some points, are SO relatable: either because one of those lies had been said to you, either because you told them XP (I'm not ashamed to admit that, in my high school days, I've used the 'my parents are strict I have to be home at xxpm' excuse more than once). Song of my heart.
Furimuku Wake ni wa Ikanaize: love. The intro is lovable, the rest of the song is so damn catchy and the ending is amazing. I can't wait to see the performance.
Genki ga Deru SONG: first of all, even if the lyrics are full of hope and good feelings etc, this song doesn't make me feel 'genki' at all. It's like the second, cheaper part of All is Well. I get and appreciate the intention behind it, and it's not even a bad song, but they already did the 'love letter' to fans two years ago, it feels 'too much' writing another one so early. I don't know. Also because All is Well is so much better. Maybe they had no other ideas.
my store ~ Kanousei wo Himeta Otokotachi (Maru, Yasu, Ohkura): when I read the tracklist, I asked myself how they choose the units, and I'm glad to know they did it in a total random way this year too. Anyway, this is the second song I 'noticed' right after the first listening. It's really catchy and upbeat. I'd love if they performed it playing the instruments, but they'll probably do some stupid dance. Also, the composer was, incredibly, not Yasu, but Maru! There's only one thing I don't get, and it's the 'my store' part in the title. Why?
Banana Juice (Yoko, Ryo): *insert childish banana jokes here* The sad thing is that I don't know Japanese enough to know if this song is actually a giant banana pun. Please someone tell me if it is. Because there's a 'I just want you to peel me', so... Anyway, I don't know, I guess it's okay? A better version of Ice Cream. And all those ba-ba-bas just make me thing of the pa-pa-pappa with the po-po-po-po-po-po-pomodoro wich is a capo-po-po-po-polavoro. I'm sorry.
Kawaita Hana (Subaru, Hina): when I read the title I asked myself why they were releasing a song with the same title of another one. But no, they actually did a cover of the old Kawaita Hana. Now... why. Yes, Subaru's voice is nice, but I'd preferred a new song; and Hina... I'm sorry, I like him, he's a good man, but his choppy piano?? His voice?? Why????? I don't get why they've done this. I like Kawaita Hana a lot, I'm really mad at this.
LOVE & KING (Hina): if last year Hina's rap solo was funny, it doesn't mean we wanted another one. Moreover, this cheap version of Lady Gaga's Poker Face. I'm confused and embarrassed.
So. It's not bad, but it's not great either. It's... an excuse to release an album and do a tour? I feel like it's full of stuff we've already seen: the vintage song, Hina rap, the All is Well copy... it's not bad, but it has nothing unforgettable. In the next years I'll remind this album for... what? Maybe for the armoica. It has nothing particular, like they didn't have many ideas, this time. And if really is like that, I'd have liked more if they'd released the album after more time, next year, instead of recycling old things.
But I usally write what I think about the new albums after a week or so, so let's do this! I'll talk about the singles included too, since I've never spent a word about them (spoiler: because I honestly don't have much to say about 3/4 of them. It was a bad year, single-wise).
I dislike the covers. All three of them. They look cheap and messy and I don't get why in one of them they're dressed as astronauts. Thankfully the one I'll buy -the regular one- it's the simpler one (veeeeeery simple); I still don't like it, but it's less chaotic. But I know better than judge a book from its cover: ugly covers do not necessarily mean ugly albums.
And I have to make a premise: after the first listening, only 2 songs caught my attention. The others sounded all really bland and I was quite worried I wouldn't have liked this album at all O_O
High Spirits: the last time Kanjani opened an album with an instrumental track was for 8Uppers, wich actually needed one because of the movie. I like they used one once again and I like the one they used: it matches well with the rest of the album. I hope they'll use it to open the jam sessions during the tour and not just as an opening! Also, a lot of armonica.
Katte ni Shiagare: again, a lot of armonica. This album doesn't have many 'strong' songs, but the ones it has... ARE strong. Not strong in a somewhat aggressive way, like the ones from Jukebox, for example, but more... fun? Katte ni Shiagare is quite catchy and fun, the performances will hopefully be the same!
Gamushara Koshinkyoku: first single. I don't hate it, it has some nice parts, but I really don't like most of the chorus and when they sing the school bell melody, I JUST REALLY DON'T LIKE THAT PART. Nothing particulary good anyway, from that single I liked waaaaaaaay more Tsugi no Harudesu.
Infinity: mess. I'm listening to it again for writing this review and I just can't, it's SO loud. Subaru wrote the lyrics.
Barintan: music by Yasu and lyrics by Hina and I think this is the first time he contributed to an album? Like, the first time he wrote something. The melody is typically upbeat/cute Yasu, and while I don't have a full translation, from what I can guess with my (very) limited knowledge of Japanese, I'd say the meaning is pretty 'Japanese': let's work hard everyday, take a lot of crap, be sad and down, but then we all get together and get genki with our tamborines. And that's why, in the performance, they're dressed like Tyroleans and bang on the tamborines. I HATED the performance. While I agree with the fact that, even if they're all in their thirties, it doesn't mean they have to be all serious and 'grown up'... I don't want to see them jumping with tamborines dressed in short pants and high socks and weird hats. Still, I like the song, it's really catchy.
Tsuyoku Tsuyoku Tsuyoku: second single. This song goes straight in the bunch of 'ballads'/slower songs they're often doing in these years; a bunch where we can find songs like 365nichi Kazoku, Namida no Kotae, Omoidama etc. They're not bad but, uhm, they're doing a lot of them and they're whiny. This one has also a quite loud chorus. Meh.
Spare Key: this is one of the 2 songs that caught my attention at the first listening. It's really normal, but the first time I listened to it I almost got teary eyed. Unlike Tsuyokux3, it's one of those ballads not whiny, not loud, with no Subaru shrieking in the distance. I like it a lot.
CloveR: third single. I don't understand why they decided to put this song after Spare Key. I'm here wiping my eyes after Spare Key and then "C to R ga koi shitaraaaa". Like... why. I felt weird. I don't particularly like this one either. It's quite cute but they're always dressed in a weird way and the dance is weird too. I don't know, I don't see them doing this kind of songs.
Nai Nai I Love You: this time too, we have the 'vintage' song. It's a genre I like, and the 'nai nai nai' part has been stuck into my head for DAYS. It also reminds me of an Italian tv show set in the '60s, the sound is that one.
WASABI: the strongest song of the album, the more energetic one. Also one of my favorites, I love bathing in this typical Eito sound.Please tell me I'm not the only one who thinks it's incredibly similar to Bruleé.
Nantoka Naru sa: boring. I never remind how it sounds, and when I listen to it I can't get to the end of it because it's always the same.
Maemuki Scream!: fourth single. Jesus Christ, how much I hate this song. It's terribly loud. Burn it with fire.
Itta Janaika: fifth single. And the only one single I really liked this year. I LOVE this song. And not because of Gomenne Seishun (although it was perfect for it), but because it just sounds... right. It's perfect. And the lyrics, even if exaggerated in some points, are SO relatable: either because one of those lies had been said to you, either because you told them XP (I'm not ashamed to admit that, in my high school days, I've used the 'my parents are strict I have to be home at xxpm' excuse more than once). Song of my heart.
Furimuku Wake ni wa Ikanaize: love. The intro is lovable, the rest of the song is so damn catchy and the ending is amazing. I can't wait to see the performance.
Genki ga Deru SONG: first of all, even if the lyrics are full of hope and good feelings etc, this song doesn't make me feel 'genki' at all. It's like the second, cheaper part of All is Well. I get and appreciate the intention behind it, and it's not even a bad song, but they already did the 'love letter' to fans two years ago, it feels 'too much' writing another one so early. I don't know. Also because All is Well is so much better. Maybe they had no other ideas.
my store ~ Kanousei wo Himeta Otokotachi (Maru, Yasu, Ohkura): when I read the tracklist, I asked myself how they choose the units, and I'm glad to know they did it in a total random way this year too. Anyway, this is the second song I 'noticed' right after the first listening. It's really catchy and upbeat. I'd love if they performed it playing the instruments, but they'll probably do some stupid dance. Also, the composer was, incredibly, not Yasu, but Maru! There's only one thing I don't get, and it's the 'my store' part in the title. Why?
Banana Juice (Yoko, Ryo): *insert childish banana jokes here* The sad thing is that I don't know Japanese enough to know if this song is actually a giant banana pun. Please someone tell me if it is. Because there's a 'I just want you to peel me', so... Anyway, I don't know, I guess it's okay? A better version of Ice Cream. And all those ba-ba-bas just make me thing of the pa-pa-pappa with the po-po-po-po-po-po-pomodoro wich is a capo-po-po-po-polavoro. I'm sorry.
Kawaita Hana (Subaru, Hina): when I read the title I asked myself why they were releasing a song with the same title of another one. But no, they actually did a cover of the old Kawaita Hana. Now... why. Yes, Subaru's voice is nice, but I'd preferred a new song; and Hina... I'm sorry, I like him, he's a good man, but his choppy piano?? His voice?? Why????? I don't get why they've done this. I like Kawaita Hana a lot, I'm really mad at this.
LOVE & KING (Hina): if last year Hina's rap solo was funny, it doesn't mean we wanted another one. Moreover, this cheap version of Lady Gaga's Poker Face. I'm confused and embarrassed.
So. It's not bad, but it's not great either. It's... an excuse to release an album and do a tour? I feel like it's full of stuff we've already seen: the vintage song, Hina rap, the All is Well copy... it's not bad, but it has nothing unforgettable. In the next years I'll remind this album for... what? Maybe for the armoica. It has nothing particular, like they didn't have many ideas, this time. And if really is like that, I'd have liked more if they'd released the album after more time, next year, instead of recycling old things.