“VESSEL” is like a mirror to Suzumura’s career: while there’s a path available, he’ll explore it as much as possible.
Title: VESSEL Release date: 16/05/2014 Label: Lantis Genre: J-Rock
Tracklist:
01. overture
02. SHIPS
03. あすなろ
04. messenger
05. バベル
06. シロイカラス
07. さあ見栄張りましょう
08. あいうえおんがく
09. おもちゃ箱
10. All right
11. ALL GREEN
12. EXTRA ROUND
13. つながり
14. finale
Track by track analysis (instrumental tracks not rated):
1 – Overture
Underwater is where we start with this intro to the album. A simple, quiet intro that slowly builds up with Suzumura’s humming in the background, minimal synths, and drums until the fadeout for “Ships”.
2 – Ships
“Ships” is the single chosen to promote this album. A track that mixes electronic elements with traditional rock instruments. “Ships” resorts to a simple instrumental with minimal synths in the background and the acoustic guitar leading the way to all the other instruments.
It’s clearly noticeable that the track was built around the acoustic guitar and, as usual, the guitar work is amazing, both with the acoustic and the electric guitars.
“Ships” showcases Suzumura on top of his game archiving here a great and catchy single, an excellent way to kick off the album.
Impresses not because it’s an amazing track, but because it’s so simple yet so catchy and such an entertaining song that you can’t stay indifferent to it.
[youtube=http://youtu.be/Li-vvY8nV8E]
3 – あすなろ
One of the many already known tracks in this album is あすなろ, single released in 2011.
This is one of the strongest Suzumura songs released so far. The chorus wins it all in this track changing the tempo of the track from that mid-tempo drumming and speedy piano playing to an uptempo track with the drums and guitars being the culprits in this chorus.
This is a well-conceived track with a natural build-up in the chorus and skillful tempo changes throughout the track. The guitars deliver a great job in this track especially in the outro with their solo.
On the vocal side of the track, we have Suzumura adapting his vocals to the more upbeat, polished rock sound in this track. The vocal track is spotless, keeping up or even beating the instrumental the majority of the time.
4 – messenger
Released in 2012, “messenger” is Suzumura’s 8th single and is a mellower rock track than the previous ones. The intro focuses more on the piano and the guitars making a solid blend leading to the first verses.
This track is mainly a slow one in the verses and has a simple yet effective chorus, resorting to skillful drum playing and dramatical guitar riffs.
This is one of those rock tracks that you can listen to time after time and you still can’t get enough of it, it’s such a great upbeat track besides its intently slow tempo and that is what manages to make an impression on the listener. Sweet, slow, dramatic ballad.
5 – バベル
We start off this song with glitchy guitar chords. バベル (Babel) is the highlight of this album.
The bassline is one of the best I’ve heard in Suzumura’s songs and the idea of making the song half-acoustic until the chorus was an excellent choice. Its sweet melodies seep through and envelop you in their good vibes. The guitar work is meaningful yet minimalistic.
Suzumura’s vocals are on top of their game on this track. Whether high or low notes, he catches every single one of them with a precision and control that impress. Perfect from start to finish.
6 – シロイカラス
The famous ending theme for CODE: Breaker anime. シロイカラス is a full-throttle, old school rock track, it starts fast and strong and keeps up the momentum throughout the track.
It’s highly addictive due to the upbeat, hyped-up chorus and manages even to get ahold of you in the slightly slower verses where Suzumura delivers one vocal performance to remind in years to come.
Aggressive guitar riffs and impressive solo in the outro alone wins the listener right away but the final touches are made by the vocal track. A performance to behold, one of the top 5 all-time best tracks released so far by Suzumura.
7 – さあ見栄張りましょう
A new track taking a completely different route from the previous tracks. This is a funky track resorting to soulful bass playing, retro pianos, old-school kind of background vocals, and funky guitar playing.
This is the 60s and 70s all over again in full bloom in this album. Suzumura’s vocals seem to fit perfectly to this entertaining and catchy track. Even the solos are old school both the piano and the guitars battle it out in the outro.
A time travel presented to all the fans is an interesting thing to do and it’s good to see/listen to changes in this album but we weren’t expecting something so “unexpected” in this album.
8 – あいうえおんがく
Guitar riffs and claps lead to the beginning of a song clearly more energetic than the last one. A rock song through and through “あいうえおんがく” is an aggressive, speedy rock song that doesn’t fail to impress.
The instrumental piece has a bit of electronic elements with the usage of synths throughout the whole song. The outro is incredibly strong with both guitars, bass, drums giving their all along with Suzumura’s angelic vocals.
This song would have been a good choice for a single since it has it all: good riffs, fast, technical drumming, a bit of electronica, a catchy chorus, and flawless vocal work.
9 – おもちゃ箱
Another change in the album, a more picturesque sound lead by the acoustic guitars and the drums played in a much slower tempo than any of the previous tracks. It resembles a bit of the “country” genre.
It’s naked of any electric instruments and resorts to some unusual mixes: violins, acoustic guitars, and the snare in the drums that sounds almost like a clap track playing in a loop in the background.
With all this おもちゃ箱 is really an improbable track, still not impressing that much in the end.
10 – All right
Upbeat rock song with great guitar riffs and drums. One of those rock songs that are incredibly catchy that give that feel-good aura when you listen to it.
One thing that always comes to my mind while listening to Suzumura’s songs is that he never fails to impress vocal-wise. His vocals are always prepared to sing anything and sound incredibly well, of course, fitting like a glove to his pop/rock genre than others.
This song is so laidback, the lyrics are good and overall I just want to sing my lungs out while listening to it.
Might not sound like a big song but we have to notice the small details, the acoustic guitar on the background, the never-stopping bassline that tries to catch up with the drums’ speed those things that, together with Suzumura’s vocals, make this song an interesting listen.
11 – ALL GREEN
“ALL GREEN” reminds a bit of “messenger”‘s guitar playing and even the intro, still, it’s such a strong and enveloping track from start to finish, that we almost completely forgive Suzumura for the kind of “copy-paste” between both tracks arrangement and overall work behind it.
The chorus is powerful with the drums taking the spotlight away from the guitars that have lead the way since the beginning of the track. However, that doesn’t last long because they ensure that you won’t forget them being there from the very beginning: they deliver a rich, technical solo in the outro leading to yet another chorus.
The vocal track is beyond words. Suzumura sings this track in the softest, sweetest and most emotional way possible and that is imprinted in our minds.
It’s a flawless vocal performance with not a single problem of synchronization or with fitting in with the tempo. If it’s not the best track in the album, it’s close to that.
12 -EXTRA ROUND
Upbeat, an all-out track from the very first second to the finish. “EXTRA ROUND” goes that extra mile that the previous tracks lacked.
It’s a loud track breaking the pace that some of the slowest tracks in this album dictated. Fast and precise drum playing an incredibly good work with the guitars that, once again, managed to impress in this album.
Those are some aggressive and fast guitar riffs without being literally “noise”, completely befitting this rock round that has been Suzumura’s trademark since his solo debut.
13 – つながり
And to drop the curtains we have the slow-paced “Tsunagari“. A song that impresses with its quality and richness and by how simple is instrumental.
The guitar is melodic, being helped by the acoustic guitar throughout the song. Suzumura delivers here one performance close to perfection in what is one of the best ballads on the album.
Sweet, careful, almost as if he were holding something rather fragile, this is the performance that is delivered in this album. An extremely thorough and impressive track. Suzumura is on top of his game without a doubt.
14 – finale
finale picks up where we were left off in the previous track like a beautiful, sweet intermission closes the curtains and ends this chapter.
Final considerations
The album is close to being an incredibly good one but fails in some places. Still, it’s good to see Suzumura trying new things with his sound.
It’s those experimentations that enrich the sound of his music and, most of all, keep the fans excited for new releases. VESSEL is like a mirror to Suzumura’s career: always going forward and while there’s a path available, he’ll explore as much as possible, staying safe in his music genre. A better metaphor is impossible.
VESSEL is available for purchase at CDJAPAN.
