“Jumble!!” may not have started the strongest, but as soon as it picked up momentum, it never faltered. This is Shunichi Toki’s best album to date.
Title: Jumble!!
Release date: 19/11/2025
Label: PONY CANYON
Genre: Pop/Pop-rock/Jazz
Tracklist:
1 - ブン回センセーション
2 - オーダーメイドライフ
3 - トイ・フレーム
4 - 暮らすリズム
5 - SCIENCE
6 - Azalea
7 - 夜のストレンジャー
8 - 希望光度
9 - Another Birthday（Rearranged version）
10 - Time is Jewel
Track by track analysis:
1 – ブン回センセーション (Bunmawa Sensation)
A delicate piano melody paints the soundscape, slowly building up the tension in “Bunmawa Sensation” with strings leading into what is a super upbeat song with retro gaming vibes to it.
This song combines the playfulness of pop with big synth stabs and chants, blending in with guitar riffs and speedy percussion to create a sound that is not typically found in Toki’s repertoire.
The chorus brings more rock elements forth – which I love – and breaks a little bit of that tension that feels like it belongs to a rhythm game.
Easily the best part of this song is the bridge, in which Shunichi Toki’s vocals take front and center in a beautiful traditional Japanese ballad soundscape with pizzicato strings leading the way. I was left wanting more of this – you’ll understand me when you get there. This is one of those parts that show just how gentle Toki’s voice is while having such a dreamy delivery.
Overall, this song will click best with big fans of unpredictability as this song shifts music genres almost every 25 seconds – keeping things equal measures crazy and energetic.
2 – オーダーメイドライフ (A tailored life)
The piano is a star in “A tailored life”, driving this song forward with a beauty and grace that will capture your attention in no time.
The verses convey a freeing vibe, with the guitar riffs flowing through the instrumental as the drums and bassline steadily hold the fort together, creating an addictive beat that sets the stage for Shunichi Toki’s vocals.
And what a performance Toki gives in this song! I was all in for the falsetto, the power and energy he carries in each sentence, the way he smoothly transitions from line to line, and the overall happy vibe he oozed throughout.
This is one of those songs that you press play and just grin like a fool as you enjoy it.
3 – トイ・フレーム (Toy Frame)
“Toy Frame” follows, and with it comes a rock sound that blends overdriven guitar riffs with strings.
The verses are bassy – and yes, this bassline is amazing – leading the way as electric guitars play in the background in the soundscape as the drums and vocals take front and center.
When the chorus kicks in, the drums go ballistic on the snare, and that, tied with the shredding guitar riffs and strings + Toki’s powerful drums, makes quite the impression. This is one of those choruses that makes goosebumps all over your body (and makes you want to sing along to it).
The strings and electric guitar combo had me in a chokehold, especially in that intermission between the chorus and the verses.
And let’s talk about the guitar solo? Because that was an amazing one – albeit brief – that had me on the edge of my seat!
4 – 暮らすリズム (Home & Rhythm)
The vibe changes completely for “Home & Rhythm”, with Shunichi Toki bringing forth a loungy sound with a simple downtempo beat, stylish Rhodes piano melodies, a deep bassline, and funky guitar riffs.
This mix creates a warm and intimate – making good use of the “home” concept – soundscape that will put a smile on your face. I didn’t need more than the intro to know I’d love this song right away. The chill, warm, and loungy vibes got me, and then I stayed fully immersed in those gentle vocals – honestly, Shunichi Toki’s voice is perfect for songs like this, especially with how he effortlessly brings falsetto into his performance.
This is, hands down, the best song on this album.
5 – SCIENCE
[AS PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED] This song has a unique duality to itself as jazz and rock blend to create this fun song. The verses have a comfortable tempo to themselves, with a punchy bassline and simple drums leading the way.
If you’re listening to this song with headphones, there are two guitars – one on each side playing and adding their own playful twist to this song. This sort of unplugged part has a genuinely feel-good vibe to which I was jamming along almost instantaneously.
The chorus cranks up the tension and is an explosion of color with rock elements taking over. Guitars and drums are explosive, the piano goes bonkers in the background as the bassline pounds its way through the song.
On the vocal end, Shunichi Toki adds a bit of drama to his performance, unleashing it in the chorus. This contrasts with the more contained way in which he was performing in the verses.
I love the little details in the verses, adding a bit of a bounce to his performance. This ends up building up anticipation for the chorus, and oh boy, does he go off in there!
Strong albeit unusual performance in a song that ends up being really entertaining.
6 – Azalea
A deep, distorted bassline and hi-hat-driven drums open the curtains on the jaunty “Azalea”.
Oh boy, this song goes all out on the fancy jazz vibes, bringing jazz brushes on the drums, brass in full blast, a jaunty piano melody, and strings that paint the soundscape in warm colors and dim lights.
The chorus for this song is quite possibly the most addictive in this album. I was jamming to it in no time, enjoying the bounce as the bassline takes over the instrumental, then, as the cherry on top, we have Toki’s intense vocals. There is a dramatic undertone to the performance that I appreciate a lot, and that fits perfectly with the playfulness and drama of jazz music.
The guitar solo on top of this instrumental – especially as the bass is a force to be reckoned with – is a nice treat, and my greedy self wanted more of both.
7 – 夜のストレンジャー (Strangers in the Night)
Slow-paced drums and a laidback guitar play on top of a suggestive Rhodes piano and a punchy bassline, setting the intimate tone in “Strangers in the Night”.
Close your eyes and enjoy the relaxing vibes in this song, one that brings additional percussion to the mix – bongos-like – rejoices in the massive bassline leading the way, and sprinkles it all with the smoothest vocals you could imagine from Shunichi Toki.
This chill sound – blending jazz, funk, and rock in the same place – brings another layer of maturity to this album while adding another song to my loungy songs playlist.
And my friends, can we talk about that guitar solo? Oh, my god. This solo gave me life. I was not expecting it, but it took over this song, and I didn’t want it to end – it was the perfect length, unleashing all the tension while preparing us all for the final chorus and outro.
8 – 希望光度 (Kibou kodou)
“Kibou Koudou” brings a sweet yet dreamy sound to the spotlight. Acoustic guitars lead the way for this song, slowly welcoming a piano, punchy bassline, and simple drums.
This semi-acoustic sound carries over and is the backdrop for Toki’s smooth vocals to shine, spreading an inspiring message of love for your passions and hobbies. That can be felt in the uplifting tone of the song as well as how Toki is bringing a lot of excitement and pride to his performance – once again, it’s as if I can see him smiling as he sings.
I love the chorus. It’s short and sweet, conveys exactly what he wants without overstaying its welcome, and puts a smile on your face with ease.
And yes, another awesome guitar solo joins in as the piano jauntily tip-toes in the background. If I already loved the song, the guitar made me love it even more.
9 – Another Birthday (Rearranged version)
[Original version PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED] “Another Birthday” gets a glow-up from a ballad to a smooth, R&B-inspired tune.
As such, the song now has a dreamy sound with hi-hats playing the background as slow-paced melodic guitar licks lead the way, then the piano comes in and sprinkles the instrumental with a layer of dreamy beauty that Shunichi Toki’s gentle vocals quickly capitalize on to deliver a sweet performance.
One geeky detail I love about this song is how it starts and ends on the same tone – and melody – making this song naturally loopable. With a chill sound like this, if you put it on repeat, you won’t notice the start or end points of it. As someone who enjoys working with music in the background and not being disrupted by massive changes between starts and ends of songs, this pleases me a lot.
10 – Time is Jewel
And we wrap up this album with “Time is Jewel”, a song that brings a beautiful piano leading the way with soft strings in the background – to your left ear – before welcoming a full-on band in a gentle pop sound. And if you were not expecting a guitar solo, we have another one, and this one has some super-fast high notes that will have you on the edge of your seat.
Vocally, this is THE highlight on this album. Shunichi Toki’s high notes and falsetto shine while having acoustic guitars and strings in the backdrop. And when the piano joins in in the chorus, it’s an explosion of color that will dazzle you.
From the verses to the chorus and even the bridge, Toki was on top of his game, bringing a lot of emotion to the performance, wrapping up “Jumble!!” in a perfect way.
Final considerations
“Jumble!!” may not have started the strongest, but as soon as it picked up momentum, it never faltered.
The 2nd full album is a massive upgrade over “Good for“, starting from how consistent across the board it is, both on the vocals, overall song quality, and the narrowing down of the music genres explored this time around (it is a less eclectic release than Good for was).
This is a good showcase of how Shunichi Toki has cornered his niche sound – that smooth balance between rock, jazz, and pop – that makes his vocals shine and leaves us with so many chill songs to listen to that almost the whole album is its own “chill” playlist.
I love the whole “Home & Rhythm” – “SCIENCE” – “Azalea” – “Strangers in the Night” sequence. These four songs make up the middle of the album – usually a place where artists hiccup a bit (as the focus is on making the opening and ending powerful), downright perfect. These were the songs that solidified this album as my favorite in Toki’s repertoire.
That’s one hell of a quartet there, and while “SCIENCE” is not a big favorite of mine, it flows so well as a bridge between “Home & Rhythm” and “Azalea” that you barely notice how different in style that song is from all in this section.
The album also finishes super strongly, and I love the rearrangement of “Another Birthday”. That’s how you rearrange a song, by elevating what was already good. What we have in this new version is a chill, sweet song that will cater to loungy/relaxing music fans.
All in all, “Jumble!!” is a rock-solid sophomore album, proving that Shunichi Toki keeps on improving and delivering quality music. By now, every time he announces a new release, I already suspect – and sort of know – we’re going to get amazing performances on top of genuinely enjoyable music.
“Jumble!!” is available for purchase at CDJAPAN. You can also find this CD available at Amazon Japan (they ship internationally).
