Review | Dear Vocalist THE BEST Rock Out!!! #2 TYPE A

Dear Vocalist THE BEST Rock Out!!! #2 Type A compiles some of the best tracks released by the members of the franchise, as well as it impresses with the new songs released.

Title: Dear Vocalist THE BEST Rock Out!!! #2 TYPE A
Label: Rejet
Release date: 19/09/2018
Genre: Pop/Rock/EDM

Tracklist:

1- Beyond the Limit (performed by RE-O-DO)
2- 騙り鳥 (performed by Momochi)
3- あなたへと。 (performed by Joshua)
4- アンビシャスナイト (performed by RE-O-DO)
5- Crazy≒Nutrient (performed by A')
6- New World (performed by Judah)
7- Mi★Amigo (performed by Momochi)
8- Keep looking (performed by (2)YOU)
9- Silver Rain Saga (performed by Joshua)

Track by track analysis:

1- Beyond the Limit

Beyond the Limit has that punk-pop genre embedded in its instrumental piece and there is no denying it, courtesy of heavy guitar riffs and some synth usage that bring to this track a “sound” that has been RE-O-DO‘s trademark.

Also, the change between life and sampled instruments is something that will make the fans remember other of his tracks such as EXiT, for instance. If there were any doubts about Beyond the Limit having such a heavy instrumental while keeping the catchy instrumental, the chorus and pre-chorus will destroy all of that.

Heavy guitar riffs mixed in with synths, once more introduce us to the electronic pop-rock genre that is incorporated in the instrumental piece. All of these elements that make this track so typical of RE-O-DO are checked.

If on one end, the instrumental piece in Beyond the Limit is off top quality, on the other hand, I must mention Masuda‘s performance as he not only sung the lyrics with some rawness and edge to it when needed but also delivered some amazing falsetto more to the end of the track.

2- 騙り鳥

Momochi is known for his ability to sing songs of any genre and doing so without a hitch. 騙り鳥 (Katari Tori) has the traditional Japanese instrumental incorporated with heavy synths, shamisen, and guitar-driven instrumental piece, that might sound peculiar at first but could not make any more sense when listening to it with attention.

The mix between the past and the present is more than well-executed, and once more Momochi has managed to incorporate several different elements and mixed them so as to deliver us with an interesting instrumental piece.

A shamisen and synths may sound like a bad idea at first, however in Katari Tori not only do they blend in well together but they also bring forth a certain nostalgia yet modern vibe to the instrumental piece.

It is true that the majority of the track revolves around this mix, but in moments that we have a more pop/rock instrumentalization, we must say that it also is engaging to listen to the different genres incorporated in this track.

Toyonaga sang the song with no difficulties whatsoever, all the while adapting his way of singing to perhaps a more traditional approach, which made his performance all the more interesting and worth listening.

3- あなたへと。

Anata e to takes on the power ballad approach and it does not fail to amaze us. The intro provided by a piano solo paves the path for Shimazaki‘s time to sing.

As the piano was playing more delicate notes, as soon as he begins to sing it changes to the deeper notes so as to complement Shimazaki‘s tone when singing. Once more, when it is time to listen to his high notes, not only does the piano also change to a higher pitch but we also have some percussion making its way into the instrumental piece.

Anata e to‘s instrumental piece was so well created that while Shimazaki is amazing to everyone with his vocal prowess, few will be the ones that will notice the synth pads being incorporated in the instrumental piece.

The transition was so well executed that it became seamless, which in fact aided Shimazaki’s performance sound even more heartfelt. This track also has an acoustic guitar occasionally playing in the background.

The explosion in emotion in the last chorus will bring goosebumps to the listener. Anata e to could not have been better, be it vocal or instrumental wise. Great performance.

4- アンビシャスナイト

Funky and heavy guitar riffs make the stage for Masuda in this longer-than-usual intro. Still, with the punk-pop genre in mind, Ambitious Night has a funky bass and guitar that accompany him from the intro onwards.

RE-O-DO certainly has tracks with a funky approach while maintaining the punk-pop genre with catchy instrumental pieces. This track has a prime focus on the guitar riffs and the funky guitar, so we have a melodic guitar and a more playful one, so to say, which makes it worth paying attention to.

The pre-chorus is the exact moment to listen to some quality performance from the drums and later on the chorus, to the guitars and groovy bass.

It is equally amusing to listen to the track with attention from start to finish as in different moments, different instruments have taken the spotlight.

5- Crazy≒Nutrient

A’ is known for its heavy electronica and funky instrumental pieces that leave anyone fascinated for its complex yet catchy instrumentals.

Crazy≒Nutrient takes that and elevates it to yet another level of entertainment. From the get-go, we get an intro heavily synth-driven with influences of the trap genre, especially in the triplets and heavy bass usage.

With synth pads that sound like droplets in a tunnel in the chorus and voice samples that make their way into the instrumental piece occasionally, Crazy≒Nutrient has a build-up and drop like an EDM track, a genre A’ is no shy to.

To add to the fact that the instrumental piece has so many synth pads and other quirks mixed in making it rather complex, and requiring an active listen to point out all of these elements, Crazy≒Nutrient has an instrumental piece that retains the entertainment found in other of his tracks. In short, this track is organized chaos, many things happened at the same time, but what at first sounds like chaos is but several pieces of a puzzle put together.

Kimura‘s vocal performance was as expected, flawless and with the quirks for which A’ is known, such as his sarcasm, noticeable in certain lines of the lyrics. Contrary to previous tracks, there is little to no voice manipulation, with the exception of the outro, where Kimura‘s voice has clearly been manipulated.

6- New World

New World has an intro delivered by a distant piano and synth percussion, however, it takes no time for the instrumental piece to change to be more rock-oriented.

Although that is true, the piano remains in the instrumental, even when reaching the chorus, no matter how quick of an appearance it makes.

New World has a fast-tempo instrumental piece, which makes the heavy guitar riffs and the splashy drums that dictate the rhythm. The piano and groovy bass give a more melodic vibe to the track, whereas the guitar and drums add more to the rock genre that Judah usually favors while incorporating synth pads into the instrumental piece.

Saito‘s raw vocals were present, as it would be expected and the same as usual in Judah’s tracks, he sang with the emotion and technique that were expected.

7- Mi★Amigo

Mi★Amigo takes on a different approach, and we are delivered with a Latin-inspired instrumental piece. With the main focus on the percussion and bass, one must not forget that synths are the actual core of the chorus in this track.

Toyonaga certainly knows how to mold his way of singing depending on the genre of the track he is singing.

In Mi★Amigo, he is singing in a smooth and sexy manner, something that is personalized for this track. An acoustic guitar often heard in flamenco songs as well as a high pitched piano are the main innovations in this track and they not only add more flare to it but also enabled Momochi‘s repertoire to include yet another genre that Toyonaga pulled off without any issues whatsoever.

Even if this feat does not come as a surprise to the fans it is still interesting to see how far can Momochi‘s tracks take Toyonaga‘s talent.

8- Keep looking

Keep looking kicks off with melodic guitar riffs in solo, setting a melancholic vibe to the instrumental piece. Groovy bass and melodic slow guitar riffs make up the chorus while Hanae brings goosebumps to the listener with his smooth high notes combined with the guitar.

Granted that all the instruments set the perfect stage for his high notes to be striking but we cannot give away the fact that both the instrumental piece and the vocal performance were top-notch.

Keep Looking retains the rock genre adding it the melancholy and nostalgia through the guitar and Hanae‘s vocal performance, especially the high notes. This track’s formula was simplicity and that was enough for success.

Strongly betting on vocal performance as well as bass and guitar performances, Keep Looking is a winner any way you look at it.

9- Silver Rain Saga

Silver Rain Saga‘s intro surely brings a nostalgia associated with the synth pad that reminds one of the 80s. With a simple intro delivered by a clean piano and guitar, this track has a laid-back ambiance to it.

Silver Rain Saga is a rock song that has a formula close to a power ballad, as it has moments of the melodic instrumental piece, as the intro and after the chorus, and then it has moments when the rock elements are all the rage, as is the case in the pre-chorus and chorus with heavy guitar riffs and drums performance as the main focus.

Note however, that the piano does not get a background seat at any moment in the track which leads one into thinking that it is the piano that works as the core of Silver Rain Saga, and that assumption is valid since it is the culprit behind this sense of something that is ending half-way through the track.


Final considerations

Dear Vocalist THE BEST Rock Out!!! #2 Type A has a compilation of some of the best tracks of each member in the franchise as well as some new tracks that have impressed.

Between RE-O-DO‘s punk-pop tracks, Momochi‘s variety in genre, A’‘s EDM, and electronica, just to name a few, we have a little for all tastes.

RE-O-DO‘s Beyond the Limit and アンビシャスナイト were two different tracks that although retaining his trademark elements also had some echo from previous tracks but still sounded fresh as is the case of アンビシャスナイト which incorporated funky elements to its instrumental piece.

Momochi has shown with each release that he can pull of all and any genre without a glitch, and this time was no different. 騙り鳥 (Katari Tori) and Mi★Amigo were prime examples of such prowess.

If on one of them we have a shamisen to bring out that traditional Japanese vibe to the instrumental piece, on the other we have Spanish flamenco influences present. With that being said, Toyonaga did a perfect job in changing his way of singing to accommodate the different genres in each track.

A’‘s Crazy≒Nutrient is a roller coaster of some sort, or as I described it before, it’s organized chaos. A’ is known for the heavy usage of synth and pads, often opting for the EDM genre, creating entertaining instrumental pieces.

Crazy≒Nutrient is precisely the epitome of that but compiled in a way that is pleasant and addicting to anyone listening to this track in repeat.

Judah brought the best in his “sound” with raw vocals, a powerful and heavy rock-oriented instrumental piece in New World. The track had quite some interesting elements added to it, namely the piano that is ever so present, and with that being said so was the feelings that overflowed from the instrumental piece.

The same can be said about (2)YOU‘s Keep Looking. With its rock-oriented instrumental piece, it brought forth a melancholy and sense of an ending to the track. Needless to say, Hanae‘s vocal performance was in pair with all the emotions of the track.

Last but not least, Joshua‘s Anata e to and Silver Rain Saga impressed me for different reasons. Anata e to is a ballad that brings out the vocal prowess in Shimazaki that was needed in the track. Vocal delivered with emotion and control in high notes. In Silver Rain Saga, although he sang with that quality the nostalgia and emotion were not exclusively brought by his vocal performance.


Dear❤Vocalist THE BEST Rock Out!!! #2 Type A is available for purchase at CDJAPAN.

Kare wa Vocalist CD "Dear Vocalist The Best Rock Out!!! #2" / RE-O-DO (Toshiki Masuda), Momochi (Toshiyuki Toyonaga), Joshua (Nobunaga Shimazaki)
 
RE-O-DO (Toshiki Masuda), Momochi (Toshiyuki Toyonaga), Joshua (Nobunaga Shimazaki)

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Nadine Silva
Nadine Silva
Former The Hand That Feeds HQ reviewer (2014 - 2019). Rocker and passionate about a good bass line or low vocal, Nadine is now shining in a different team, rocking and dazzling in the IT industry.

2 COMMENTS

  1. […] [As previously reviewed] Funky and heavy guitar riffs make the stage for Masuda in this longer than usual intro. Still with the punk-pop genre in mind, this track has a funky bass and guitar that accompany him from the intro onwards. RE-O-DO certainly has tracks with a funky approach while maintaining the punk-pop genre with catchy instrumental pieces. This track, has a prime focus on the guitar riffs and the funky guitar, so we have a melodic guitar and a more playful one, so to say, which makes it worth paying attention to. The pre-chorus is the exact moment to listen to some quality performance from the drums and later on the chorus, to the guitars and groovy bass. It is equally amusing to listen to the track with attention from start to finish as in different moments, different instruments have taken the spotlight. 4.5/5 […]

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REVIEW OVERVIEW

Beyond the Limit
Katari Tori
Anata e to
Ambitious Night
Crazy≒Nutrient
New World
Mi★Amigo
Keep looking
Silver Rain Saga

SUMMARY

Dear Vocalist THE BEST Rock Out!!! #2 Type A compiles a first set of tracks that go loud and heavy when necessary. However, and let's not forget this franchise's appeal, it has electronica and pop-rock in the mix, all done in a tasteful way that both rock and electronica fans can enjoy. Between the already know tracks and the new additions, fans have only quality to choose from. Top performances and unique instrumentals continue to make Dear Vocalist a franchise to look forward to.

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Dear Vocalist THE BEST Rock Out!!! #2 Type A compiles a first set of tracks that go loud and heavy when necessary. However, and let's not forget this franchise's appeal, it has electronica and pop-rock in the mix, all done in a tasteful way that both rock and electronica fans can enjoy. Between the already know tracks and the new additions, fans have only quality to choose from. Top performances and unique instrumentals continue to make Dear Vocalist a franchise to look forward to.Review | Dear Vocalist THE BEST Rock Out!!! #2 TYPE A