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Tracklist | |
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01 - Gamble 02 - Kuki 03 - Sakuran (TERRA ver.) 04 - Hatsukoi Shoujo 05 - Papaya Mango 06 - Ishiki 07 - Yokushitsu 08 - Meisai 09 - Poltergeist 10 - Karisome Otome (TAMEIKESANNOH ver.) 11 - Oiran 12 - Yume no Ato 13 - Kono Yo no Kagiri |
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Review | |
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Everyone runs out of steam someday. The pessimist in me knows that it's inevitable. Run! Keep running! Someday you're going to trip up and fall. Someday... BUT, Shena Ringo's day has not yet come. Her newest album, Heisei Fuuzoku, a collaboration with violinist Saito Neko, is just another testament to her talent, and proof that she still runs far ahead of her peers. Shena's 2003 album, Karuki Zaamen Kuri no Hana (KZK), displayed a huge leap forward in her songwriting that made her first album, Muzai Moratorium, seem positively australopithecine by comparison. KZK is universally renowned by Shena acolytes as her best work, and the prospect of a new solo offering from Shena has left many fans wondering how she could possibly top it. Heisei Fuuzoku's techno cum Broadway musical style is similar to KZK, and it could even be criticized for rehashing many of KZK's best tracks. Among the new versions of songs, "Ishiki" does little to merit having been rerecorded, while "Poltergeist" fares even worse, lacking the grace of the original. However, the stellar original material on the album, combined with the successfully reimagined old songs, make listening to Heisei Fuuzoku a delight. With this album Shena hasn't so much tried to reinvent her music again, as much as she has just continued to develop it, bringing us a Shena more unhinged and passionate. Her voice growls, cracks and strains -- a pleasing juxtaposition of strength and weakness complimented immensely by the organic flow of Saito's orchestra and musical direction. A new version of "Kuki" near the beginning of the album gives an early example of this, as Shena's voice nearly collapses over the beautifully gentle accompaniment. This genuine quality in her voice makes "Gamble"'s chorus rock a bit harder and brings out a coy side of Shena in "Karisome Otome (TAMEIKESANNOH ver.)" that we haven't seen much before. "Yokushitsu" fuses the electronic instrumentation of the original from Shouso Strip with the orchestral grandeur of the Shena b-side, "La Salle de Bain," creating an amalgam that climaxes with the transition from the prior's Japanese to the latter's English lyrics. However, the subtle orchestral accompaniment on the deep house number "Oiran" proves a much more beautiful combination of the electronic and organic. The fragile "Hatsukoi Shoujo" takes this fusion one step further by floating both of these elements in heavy reverb and layers of interlocking voices. Oddly enough, it somehow fits in perfectly between the sprightly "Sakuran (TERRA ver.)" and "Papaya Mango." Furthermore, Shena's command of English is rather impressive, even sassy at times, save for her strange invitation for us to "step inside [her] shady nuke." At its worst, Heisei Fuuzoku disappoints with songs we've already heard, but at its best we're left admiring Shena's awesome creativity and charisma. Shena became a pop deity with KZK, but many were unsure if her reign would continue. Fear not, humble servants, for the fearless and youthful energy created by her collaboration with Saito on Heisei Fuuzoku once again shows why she is the reigning queen of pop. |
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