KAGARIBI’s “Fushichou” surprises with a blend of the band’s trademark heavy guitar sound and a groovy straightforward, romantic vibe.
Title: Dear Vocalist HEADLINER Entry Entry NO.3 KAGARIBI
Label: Rejet
Release date: 24/07/2024
Genre: Rock/Pop
Tracklist (DISC 1):
1 - 不死鳥 (NEW SONG)
2 - BöY (NEW SONG)
3 - All is well
4 - I can't sing anymore.
5 - Love never dies
Track by track analysis:
1 – Fushichou (不死鳥)
KAGARABI kicks off this single with “Fushichou“, song that brings forth heavy guitar riffs
The verses have a strong focus on a deep bassline and lower-toned guitar riffs. The bassline is particularly thunderous, adding a lot of groovy and power to this straightforward rock tune.
Still, the first part of the verse is quiet, slowly building up tension in the chorus.
When the chorus kicks in, the drums take center stage as if they’re the heartbeat of this song, featuring a hard-hitting snare and washy, open hi-hat notes.
The vocals are distorted in the ending part of the chorus as the guitar screams, leading into another groovy verse.
The bridge arrives, and the instrumental quiets down a bit – as if a big decision is being taken – before the electric guitars explode in ecstasy, quieting down yet again for Judah (CV: Soma Saito) to power his way through the lyrics into the ending.
2 – BöY
KAGARIBI changes things around completely for “BöY“, song which is the band’s first attempt at a pop/danceable style of song.
And let me tell you, this is a fun take on a more laidback and groovier style of music by the heaviest band in the Dear Vocalist franchise.
The verses have a comfortable mid-tempo with a snary beat leading the way, creating a warm stage for Judah to take over.
The chorus is an explosion of color as the punchy bassline leads the way, and funky guitars play in the background. At the same time, jaunty piano melodies will make you want to hit the dancefloor in the snap of a finger.
The bridge features a shredding, emotional guitar solo – albeit short, it’s so good – leading up to a quieter section in which atmospheric synths close in the broad soundscape around you.
When it comes to the vocals, Soma Saito (as Judah) fits like a glove into this groovy style of pop-rock. His tenor vocals are clear at all times in the middle of this bassy instrumental, bringing a lot of power and emotion to the performance.
As a whole, “BöY” easily takes the crown as the best song on this CD.
Final considerations
Dear Vocalist’s straightforward romantic Judah is back with KAGARIBI’s “Fushichou” and let me tell you, I was not expecting anything we got in this CD.
The title track has the band’s trademark heavy guitar sound and punk-rock-inspired drumming however, if you pay closer attention, the song does sound as heavy as other songs in the band’s repertoire.
Also, “Fushichou” is quite the romantic and straightforward song, with Judah laying it all down in public with a confidence and passion that he hadn’t had in previous releases (even if he has been for the past 3 releases being quite blunt about how head over heels he is for his significant other).
So while the first track doesn’t stray away from the band’s original sound – something that RE-O-DO and Joshua did -, the vibe is completely different. We get an aggressive sound on a first listen but if we notice it on a closer listen we get only warmth and love coming from that song.
Now… I was not expecting anything that “BöY” delivered. Out of all the bands in the Dear Vocalist franchise, KAGARIBI is the heaviest, always bringing a shredding guitar-driven sound so notice my surprise when this song is… pop with disco/funk elements.
Don’t get me wrong, this is not a bad song – actually, it’s the best one on this CD – but I was completely caught off guard by this massive change in tone and sound for this rock band.
This is the type of song not made for headbanging but for heading to the dancefloor and dancing along to the jaunty piano and stylish disco-inspired strings.
When it comes to the vocals, it is worth mentioning that there have been some changes in the way Soma Saito performs as Judah.
He started to perform as Judah with a lower, raspier tone to match his edgy, aggressive vibe/persona.
However, as Judah started to open up, soften, and fall madly in love with his significant other, his singing style changed, and as such Soma Saito softened his performance accordingly. Now, he sounds closer to his singing voice as a solo artist than what he was delivering as Judah when the franchise kicked off in 2015.
Nothing wrong about this but if you listen to KAGARIBI’s songs chronologically, you will notice this slowly happening across the 8 years of music. The “edge” is no longer there in his vocals, nor is his lower singing tone – almost faux baritone.
Judah’s warming up and growing as a character – managing and finally conquering his anger management issues – has led to him showing a different type of character in his performances. He still has the same power and charismatic delivery but the tone is obviously softer underneath. I love this subtle character progression.
All in all, while KAGARIBI’s “Fushichou” is not their best entry and is far from being the best so far in the Headliner CD series, it is entertaining, refreshing, and straightforwardly romantic like Judah has used us to.
What is Dear Vocalist?
Dear Vocalist is a 2D rock music project focused on equal parts music and storytelling. The franchise was launched in 2015 and is produced by Rejet.
R.O.N (Stereo Dive Foundation) is in charge of producing all the music in the franchise.
One thing that sets this franchise apart from all others is a massive focus on storytelling – through the drama tracks and songs. That storytelling highlights mental health – with all vocalists having some sort of disorder that you help them get through or heal – even if not obvious at times.
That, paired with the music and romance parts as well as the character development that you can easily notice if you check the songs + drama tracks chronologically, make this franchise a unique one, truly in a league of its own.
According to Rejet, the characters in the story are vocalists belonging to the music production company “Climax Record.” They face various challenges and unreasonable demands, such as the president of the production company telling them to disband if they don’t become successful. As a supportive figure and as their significant other, you strive to assist the vocalist in facing these challenges while engaging in musical activities.
The cast features 6 vocals, fronting their respective bands and, on the side living their normal lives with their significant others (you, the listener in the drama tracks).
KAGARIBI consists of:
A two-piece rock band affiliated with Climax Record. Notably, even before their major debut, all the songs under the name “篝火” (Kagaribi) were personally created by the vocalist JUDAH.
Since the addition of guitarist SIMON, a new range of expressions has emerged alongside JUDAH’s genius-level melodic lines. With overwhelming presence, they have continued to captivate numerous audiences.
From the beginning of their formation, rumors of discord between JUDAH and SIMON circulated. They were once driven to an indefinite hiatus, but eventually resumed their activities. The tension between the two has become more than just a scandal, evolving into a kind of trademark for the band. Fans even express anticipation for on-stage disputes and sudden interruptions during live performances.
- Vocalist: Judah (CV: Soma Saito)
- Guitar: SIMON (CV. Kaito Ishikawa)
“Fushichou” is available for purchase at CDJAPAN.
