
Kitakore continue to explore their funk-pop sound, with a peppy or cute twist to it in “Life is Swingin’ Groovin’ Show“.

Title: Life is Swingin’ Groovin’ Show Release date: 03/02/2021 Label: MAGES. Genre: Pop
Tracklist:
1 - Life is Swingin' Groovin' Show 2 - I think I'm in love 3 - Life is Swingin' Groovin' Show - Off Vocal - 4 - I think I'm in love - Off Vocal -
Track by track analysis:
1 – Life is Swingin’ Groovin’ Show
Funky guitar riffs take you on a fun trip with Kitakore in “Life is Swingin’ Groovin’ Show”. The verses are fast-paced for the most part, counting with a couple of slower paced sections in which you have finger snaps setting the rhythm for the song.
A punchy bassline joins in the chorus with tambourine melodies painting this soundscape in a colorful fashion. Drums and piano melodies carry a lot of excitement with them, creating a danceable sound that you’ll find yourself dancing along to it.
It is worth mentioning that this song has an enjoyable double solo – with the piano and electric guitars shining.
On the vocal end, Daisuke Ono and Daisuke Kishio deliver a solid performance that makes the best of their singing skills. They added an additional layer of enjoyment to this song.
2 – I think I’m in Love
To wrap up this release we have “I think I’m in Love”, song that explores a simpler, dance-oriented sound.
The verses count with a wide variety of synths in the background creating a summery soundscape. The second verse introduces a punchy bassline that adds a bit of depth to the song.
Slowly, a simple snare-driven beat leads you to the upbeat bubblegum pop chorus waiting for you.
Although the instrumental is really good for the most part, I feel like things got a bit too much to handle with the various high-pitched synths in the chorus. That section gets a bit too bright in tonality, something that I believe will not make the song have that big of a replay value.
The vocals, like the verses, are enjoyable and, in this case, really sweet. Ono and Kishio went all out with the gentleness and love they brought to their performance and the truth is, this is a genuinely sweet and some would say cute performance by the duo.
Final considerations
Kitakore continue to explore their funk-pop sound, with a peppy or cute twist to it.
“Life is Swingin’ Groovin’ Show” is really entertaining. Funk guitar riffs mixed with laidback pop create a summery soundscape with an underlying warmth that will put a smile on your face.
“I think I’m in Love” had the makings of an awesome song – the instrumental up until the chorus is fun and gentle, spreading a “feel good” vibe – but the chorus ruined it for me. It’s okay to use high-pitched synths to give the song a youthful, naïve touch.
In songs exploring the them of “love” that works well. But having 2 or 3 different synths melodies in similar key in the background made the song ring a bit too much in my headphones (Sennheiser HD 579, made for music monitoring and critical music listening) which made each listen of the song a bit of a chore whenever it got to the chorus.
Once again I’ll say, if not for the synths-galore in the chorus, this would take the crown as best song in this single for me.
Kitakore continue to show their cards on the vocal end, with the duo showcasing more confidence than usual, their emotional range is on a good level – to the point that you can feel the gentleness in “I think I’m in Love” – and their consistency in their solo parts is a highlight. Their music is mostly enjoyable and with quite the loungy undertone – that I believe many of you will love.
All in all, “Life is Swingin’ Groovin’ Show” is a solid entry in Kitakore’s repertoire, showing a group that keeps on improving their performances and chemistry while, in the background, the quality of the music they are performing has been increasing even if with some hiccups here and there.
Life is Swingin’ Groovin’ Show is available for purchase at CDJAPAN.