
Straight out of smartphone rhythm game IDOLiSH7 is MEZZO, unit consisting of KENN and Atsushi Abe. The duo embraces a sweet pop sound with a ballad twist.

Single: Koi no Kakera Label: Lantis Release date: 11/05/16 Genre: J-Pop
Tracklist:
01.恋のかけら 02.miss you… 03.恋のかけら(OFF VOCAL) 04.miss you…(OFF VOCAL)
Track by track analysis:
01.恋のかけら
Already known to those who are playing the game, “Koi no Kakera” is a mid-tempo track that relies on a more alternative pop sound, bringing to the table strings, acoustic guitars, hi-hat focused drums, and a barely audible bass.
With all these elements together you’re presented with a textbook pop track that could have come straight from an anime opening theme or the sort. It’s generic at best in its presentation.
Vocally, KENN reminds me once again why I do love his singing voice. He’s got good control, his mid-tones have a raspy, almost husky tonality and he hits low and high notes without sounding off-key.
On the other side, we find Abe, a rare sight in music-oriented game titles, lending his slightly higher-toned vocals to the track. With a few mistakes here and there and some key problems when the notes went higher, Abe struggled a bit.
The two blend relatively well in this track but you can tell there’s barely any chemistry in the performance itself. As a whole “Koi no Kakera” doesn’t bring anything new or exciting to the table, barely passing as a good track.
02.miss you…
With an acoustic sound where strings and acoustic guitars reign, “miss you…” is a pop ballad ready to impress you.
Clearly an upgrade from the previous track, this one focuses more on making KENN and Abe shine without any big, flashing things in the background to distract us.
Mid-tempo drums, bass, and piano complete the instrumental piece, in what is the best instrumental piece in this release.
Vocally, it’s uncanny as Abe sounds really confident in this performance, with his mid-toned vocals shining through. He delivers robust high notes, definitely showing a different side to his singing, and clearly sounding like a different person in comparison with his performance in “Koi no Kakera”.
And KENN is made for this type of track. With his sweet, slightly husky vocals he can make a ballad sound rich and full, and together with Abe’s solid vocals, we get an interesting performance.
Final considerations
With two experienced singers on board, it’s surprising how MEZZO ends up sounding a bit generic and, perhaps lacking some chemistry. With instrumentals that lack inspiration, resorting to the same old textbook anisong style, the group only manages to show what they’re allowed to.
A pity since both KENN and Abe are good vocalists whose vocals always take the front stage in whichever projects they are in. The cute, boy next door concept ruins the group’s configuration and ultimately their sound.
“Koi no Kakera” is available for purchase at CDJAPAN.