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Tracklist | |
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01 - 音速パンチ (Onsoku Punch) 02 - 暗黙情事 (Anmoku Jijou) 03 - 夏色 (Natsuiro) 04 - Beauty C 05 - 四月馬鹿 (Shigatsu Baka) 06 - Swinging Night 07 - 野火 (Nobi) 08 - 唄い人 (Utaibito) 09 - 愛うらら (Ai Urara) 10 - インディゴブルー (Indigo Blue) 11 - 陽の照りながら雨の降る (Hi no Terinagara Ame no Furu) 12 - Happy Ending |
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Review | |
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Japan's neurotic songstress is back for real from her Okinawan retreat, finally performing (nervously, of course) under her own name with no Quruli members as her backup. As SINGER SONGER's vocalist and main songwriter, Cocco seemed to have sloughed off her inner demons during her sabbatical, or at the least locked them up for the time. The lack of songs frantically demanding the anonymous male offender to lick her toes (ala "Countdown") continues on Zansaian, but that may not necessarily be a welcome change, even for those not into alternative lifestyles. Cocco's midtempo guitar ballads usually showcase her strongest songwriting chops, but her grungier moments add much balance and vigor to her oeuvre. Without it (and minus the Quruli contributions) Zansaian becomes ensnared in its lack of gravity. To Cocco's credit, she was willing to try some different approaches, but these end in mixed results. Her first single and lead-off track "Onsoku Punch" starts up with an unexpected techno flourish, complete with synth and four on the floor rhythms via a drum machine. The snappy, vibrant verses work well but are ultimately left underutilized and disconnected from the mismatched, watered-down chorus. On "Swinging Night" Cocco tries her hand at playing the chanteuse, but the effort sounds much better suited as a one-off b-side and is greatly outshined by Shiina Ringo's "Dynamite." At least the dark and uncannily Bjork-like "Beauty C" is a more successful departure. Its hypnotic electronic melody fares better than "Onsoku Punch," making it a very conspicuous addition to the album. Surprisingly, Cocco's rock roots fail her as well. "Anmoku Jijou" plays the usual soft-loud juxtaposition card but lacks the usual aggression and soul of her older work. The slightly chaotic turn toward the conclusion with repeated screams and discordant riffs is too safe and controlled to be convincing. Heavier guitars return on "Nobi" but mediocre hooks guarantee it will be forgotten once its four minutes are up. What works best on Zansaian is Cocco's simple midtempo fare, most of which sounds like holdovers from SINGER SONGER. The indubitable hooks in "Shigatsu Baka" and the basic, upbeat catchiness of "Haru Urara" stand out amongst much of the filler. "Hi no Terinagara Ame no Furu"'s Polynesian-sounding chant rubs off as gimmicky alongside the guitar lines but nevertheless becomes a worthwhile addition on an album desperately thirsty for strong melodies. Cocco has always had a propensity to loosen her grip on melody and pen excess filler on her albums, but oftentimes her personal style and raw energy were enough to compensate. Not so on Zansaian, where the rock tracks have no guts, the introspective ones possess little intimacy, and the attempts to branch out are original only within the narrow confines of her repertoire. Cocco's purportedly tumultuous psyche may have brought her career to a halt, but it was clearly fertile material for her to draw upon. Without it, the ensuing placidity has ushered in an album of blandness. Cocco fanatics may dig anything that stars her recognizable vocals, but Zansaian will leave everyone else unconvinced. |
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