
Re:vale strips itself away from all elegance and elaborate instrumentals to deliver an honest, and simple set of performances in “Kokoro, Hare Harere”.
Re:vale consists of Yuki (CV: Shinnosuke Tachibana) and Momo (CV: Soichiro Hoshi).
Review

Title: ココロ、ハレ晴レ Release date: 15/06/2022 Label: Lantis Genre: Acoustic/Pop-rock
Tracklist:
1 - ココロ、ハレ晴レ 2 - Start Rec 3 - ココロ、ハレ晴レ (Off Vocal) 4 - Start Rec (Off Vocal)
Track by track analysis:
1 – ココロ、ハレ晴レ
Acoustic guitars gently play as the sound of waves crashing, paints a laid-back and warm soundscape.
The verses embrace that gentle sound you get in the intro with the acoustic guitar leading the way. In the background, live drums and an electric guitar add some spice to this instrumental.
As you get closer to the chorus, legato strings join in to add a layer of beauty to this song.
When you get to the chorus of “Kokoro, Hare Harere“, dreamy piano melodies and a comfortable beat join in, painting a warm and happy soundscape for you.
The song is uplifting despite the pang of nostalgia it has going on underneath.
As far as vocals go, Re:vale goes for a melodic performance with harmonies being a highlight.
Solid kick-off to this single.
2 – Start Rec
Wrapping up this release is “Start Rec” song that pits in the spotlight the duo’s two sides: bubbly in the synths choice and intense and emotional in the screaming rock instrumental leading the way.
The intro is made to impress. A guitar screams in solo in the background as you are taken to the first verse. Soon, you notice that while this song seemed like it would go towards EDM territory, the splashing live drums and electric guitars remind you that this is a fun pop-rock tune.
There is something about the pre-chorus that is, quite possibly, not clear. It goes eerie – with one of the instruments playing backwards – before bringing clarity and a grounded sound back to the spotlight. This little detail makes the pre-chorus stand out to me for how unusual it is in the duo’s repertoire.
And yes, you have another guitar solo in the bridge, leading you to an ethereal part in which Tachibana and Hoshi harmonize in the soundscape. All of a sudden, the soundscape is far and wide, bright as day and with hope at every corner.
The last chorus is the climax of all the emotions going on throughout the song, with the guitar solo unleashing those in a stylish way.
Final considerations
As it wraps up, Re:vale’s “Kokoro, Hare Harere” appears as a different single in the duo’s repertoire.
There is no heavy EDM, and no jazz going on. It’s just the purest and simplest form and sound for Re:vale, showing the group’s roots, ambitions and passions.
This simplicity in sound and performances is noticeable throughout the single.
“Kokoro, Hare Harere” has a toned down, emotional performance, straying a bit away from the duo’s elegant jazz-pop/pop-rock sound.
While not that demanding in the vocal department, the teamwork going on shows a group that has improved a lot in recent years towards sounding as harmonious as possible.
“Star Rec” shows an upbeat and quirky side to the duo’s pop-rock sound, blending their influences – EDM and rock – and styles – bubbly and reserved yet emotional – into a creative and exciting tune.
All in all, Re:vale shows its true side with a simple set of performances that stand out for how emotional they are.
“Kokoro, Hare Harere” is available for purchase at CDJAPAN.
“Kokoro, Hare Harere” is available for streaming on Spotify.
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