The 4th entry in the GALACTI9★SONG Series is nothing alike previous releases, bringing to the table an emotional take on a R&B tune alongside one of the best performances so far in the series.
Title: GALACTI9★SONG Series #4 Label: Rejet/Pythagoras Production Release date: 20/03/2019 Genre: J-Pop/R&B
Tracklist:
1 - P.S. 2 - パルコ (L ver.) 3 - P.S. (off vocal) 4 - パルコ (off vocal)
Track by track analysis:
1 – P.S.
P.S brings to the table a melancholic R&B sound. Funk-inspired guitar riffs, simple, higher toned piano melodies, refined strings melodies, atmospheric synths and a simple 808 beat create a strange mix of delicate and suggestive that exudes from the same soundscape. The verses are simple and quiet, relying on the vocals to make an impact. The chorus explodes in emotion, with strings and piano melodies widening the scope of the song, creating a unique dynamic to this track.
Vocally, KENN upped his game like never before. His longing falsetto, sweet mid tones, breathtaking high notes, all contribute to this song’s emotional vibe. 5/5
2 – パルコ (L ver.)
Contrasting with the previous track is パルコ (Parco). This ballad, with a sound and vibe commonly found within Marginal #4’s repertoire, is the only song that will be common to all releases in the GALACTI9★SONG CD series. A delicate piano and strings melodies set the tone for this gentle ballad. Slow paced, bass-drum drums, melancholic guitar riffs and a noticeable bass line add the final touches to this instrumental. A nice touch – that might go unnoticed – is the rhodes piano melody play in the verses, enhancing the song’s melancholic tone. The pacing is deliberately slow, leaving the way open for vocals to shine. KENN gave one of the smoothest performances for this song. His naturally mix of husky-buttery singing tone highly contributed to improve the listener’s overall experience of Parco. 5/5
Final rating:
The 4th entry in Marginal #4‘s GALACTI9★SONG Series raises the bar.
L Nomura’s P.S. rises to the throne as the best song so far in this series. The song, heavily rooted in its R&B influences, is a prime example of how slightly changing the approach to the group’s, giving it a “mature” touch, has done nothing more than improvements to this group. P.S. has a ballad-like progression however, it does not disregard R&B’s natural alluring tone. This creates a strange yet addictive duality to this track. KENN raised the bar with his performance filled with falsetto, crystal clear high notes, sweet harmonies and a gentleness that makes this song all the more emotional.
As for Parco: this song is in its 4th iteration and the quality continues to improve with each entry. KENN‘s take on this song was fancy. His voice tone is husky but with a touch of gentleness in it, making most ballads shine, if not all ballads shine. Even if the song’s instrumental is sub-par, his performance certainly doesn’t fall in that category. He gave an outstanding emotional performance that leaves a mark. It is in some way refreshing to listen to the same song throughout a series but experience, at the same time, completely different takes of it, sounding nothing alike the others. KENN‘s more of a ad-lib/show off kind of performer, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing if one has the skills to back it up – which he does -, so his take on this ballad had his unique touch from the way he pronounces words, the way he tackles certain notes and melodies to his technique.
From KENN’s outstanding performance to the whole song’s vibe and instrumentalization, there is no shortage of quality. GALACTI9★SONG Series #4 is one of the best entries in this series, a definitive must listen.
GALACTI9★SONG Series #4 is available for purchase at CDJAPAN.
