QUELL steps into a beautiful, pure soundscape to deliver one of the most technical performances in their repertoire with “Boku o Sasou Koe”.
QUELL consists of Shunsuke Takeuchi (leader), Koutaro Nishiyama, Shugo Nakamura, and Sho Nogami.
Title: TSUKIPRO THE ANIMATION 2 vol.1 Label: Tsukipro/Movic Release date: 24/12/2021 Genre: Pop
Tracklist:
1 - 僕を誘う声 (QUELL) 2 - 衛星のシルヴィス (Growth) 3 - 僕を誘う声 -off vocal- 4 - 衛星のシルヴィス -off vocal-
Track analysis (only QUELL’s Boku o Sasou Koe was reviewed):
1 – 僕を誘う声
Delicate strings swell in the background, painting a dreamy, clear soundscape as sweet almost muted acoustic guitar riffs and a sampled bass hit set the comfortable downtempo you find in this song.
Minimalistic guitar riffs and snary drums join in midway through the song however, you’ll find that soon after the verse is… empty.
Nothing on the horizon but that crystal-clear, beautifully pure soundscape.
It sets the stage for the technical parts going on in the vocals with Shunsuke Takeuchi and Shugo Nakamura first going for head voice notes in crescendo with some vibrato in the endings – which is impressive – and then, Koutaro Nishiyama and Sho Nogami also go for those and simply… It’s way too good. It feels good. Clear, delicate, beautiful.
And as you’re still processing the fact that you just listened to 4 head voice parts with crescendo and even some vibrato in the mix, the chorus arrives.
Marching, urgent bassy drums lead the way as gentle strings add dimension to this song, restricting the wide soundscape into something more manageable and, in a way, slightly cozy for the listener to enjoy.
As those drums and strings go on in the background, on top arrive the four members performing in a mix of head voice and falsetto. It is quite the breathy performance you get in the chorus, further fleshing out the dreamy, ethereal vibe in the verses.
The voices resonate in the soundscape. It is difficult not to be drawn into QUELL’s performance. It is powerful in its simplicity. The technique is second to none on the vocal end. The chemistry is impressive.
The drums in this section may not be a major feature but I absolutely love how those arrive to add a heartbeat to this song while being the perfect complement to the cellos going on in the background. The sound is not as intense as I’d expected, actually remaining fairly ethereal throughout which, with QUELL’s songs, is always a good sign.
When “Boku o Sasou Koe” wraps up, the first instinct is to hit the replay button.
I know for sure that I had to hit that replay button because whenever Takeshi Hama composes a song, you have to be aware that you’ll never really uncover everything that is going on in a song until you go for additional listens. Layered, complex yet sounding incredibly simple, his compositions for QUELL are always a treat to listen to, perfectly complementing the vocals while creating soundscapes that are effortlessly beautiful.
All in all, “Boku o Sasou Koe” is, easily, the best song out of the 1st batch of insert songs in TSUKIPRO THE ANIMATION 2. Masterful composition and impressive performances seal the deal for me.
TSUKIPRO the animation 2 vol.2 is available for purchase at CDJAPAN.
