Review | Soma Saito “Fictions”

Soma Saito Fictions

Soma Saito delivers a unique compilation of short stories under the themes of nostalgia, longing and homesickness in the emotional 3rd album, Fictions.

Soma Saito Fictions
Regular edition
Title: Fictions
Release date: 25/09/2024
Label: SACRA MUSIC
Genre: Alternative Rock/Shoegaze Rock/Ballad/Glam-rock/Punk-Rock/Citypop

Tracklist:

1 - ハンマーガール 
2 - Sway
3 - ヒラエス
4 - ノクチルカ
5 - 共犯者
6 - Riot!
7 - mm
8 - 雨の庭
9 - Puppet Mood
10 - (Fake)Flowers
11 - ベントラー

Track by track analysis:

1 – ハンマーガール (Hammer Girl)

Hammer Girl” kicks off with a slow, melodic pacing, opening the curtains to what ends up being an intense and groovy rock tune with a driving guitar riff that will stay with you.

The electric guitars are a driving force in the intro, shredding their way into the quieter and dreamy verses. At least the first half of the verses is quiet, leaving a lot of room for Saito’s vocals to lead the way.

Faster than you can notice, the song takes you to a pre-chorus in which the electric guitars are muted while the drums explode into the chorus.

And oh boy, what awaits you in this chorus! Soma Saito brings a groovy bassline to the spotlight, adding a bit of punch to the, already, punchy drums.

The drums are riveting and bassy, going deep on the toms, creating a fancy contrast with the higher-toned guitar riffs going on in the two electric guitars in play.

At the same time, Soma Saito goes for a mix of clean vocals and falsetto, adding a fun duality to this chorus as his clean vocals complement the “bassier” side of the instrumental and his falsetto brings the powerful and high-ranged complement to the screaming guitar riffs.

The second verse quiets down a little bit, letting the lead guitar go languidly through the chorus before opening the doors to the reverberating electric guitar on your right side

In the bridge, we’re presented with a brief yet explosive guitar solo that will put you on the edge of your seat. I know, for sure, that I was enjoying its overdriven sound and how well the solo fit in this song.

One thing I appreciate a lot in this song is the little details with “empty” spaces in between the beat, with one of those being muted or ignored, showing a creative time signature behind the drums/bass.

Another one is how quickly and easily I spotted Saito’s electric guitar in this song. This is the first time he has his guitar playing recorded in an album and what a song to start that with!

In a way, those two instruments – guitar and drums – are the driving force in “Hammer Girl”. The intensity, passion, and how fast they come and go leaving a trail of destruction as well as awe, is something that really stands out on a first listen and stays with you after it.

2 – Sway

Impactful, bassy drums lead the way in “Sway” as the electric guitars, in shoegaze fashion echo and distort in the wide soundscape.

This results in a dreamy yet nostalgic soundscape – very reminiscent of the work in The Cure’s iconic album “Disintegration” – that will instantly capture your attention.

Helping fleshing out this unique dreamy, spacy vibe are the synths playing in the background and, if you pay closer attention during the chorus, far in the back to your right.

It is unreal how important the drums are for this song. They are at the forefront since the start, dictate the pacing, and, alongside the electric guitar, they’re a force to be reckoned with.

The chorus is a thing of beauty. We have a smooth transition between the pre-chorus and chorus, the drums pick up the intensity on the toms and snare, and off we go with that addictive – yet incredibly simple – beat leading the way to what is one of Saito’s best choruses to date.

It is simple and brief but so, so addictive to the point that, by the second time you listen to it, you already are flowing into the groove, feeling the beat, immersed in the story and its dreamy journey, and, potentially, already singing along to the lyrics.

The bridge provides us with another guitar solo. This town, and much in shoegaze fashion, the solo starts with clean chords and a heavy tone and slowly adds the gate, distortion, and reverb effects to “destroy” the dynamics on purpose.

I love the little detail between the guitar solo and the final chorus. The quieting of all instruments gives way to the synth and a quieter

A big change in music composition, especially noticeable in this song is the addition of an outro, a well fleshed-out one that builds up on the tension and unleashes it in a way that I believe will make this song a hit on live shows.

On the vocal end, Soma Saito matches the dreamy vibe of this song, however, with an interesting – and, should I say, slightly alluring – singing style.

He is adding more air to his singing, extending his notes, slowing down words on purpose, almost dragging them in an alluring way, and connecting phrases within the song in that way.

3 – ヒラエス (Hiraeth)

Hiraeth” opens with Saito leading the way on guitar, setting a nostalgic tone to this song.

The verses are mostly quiet, leaving only Soma Saito front and center as the bassline adds color to the soundscape and the drums add depth to the composition. There is a bounce to the instrumental carrying the song to the chorus. The piano makes its entrance with a longing in each note.

The drums remind me a lot of “Waltz”, song from Saito’s 1st EP “My Blue Vacation” yet there is an underlying vibe of “Memento” and “Carpool” in this song.

In a way, the parallels with “Carpool” can easily be seen as the tone and theme are essentially the same although approached in completely different ways. The nostalgia and the longing are present in both and are powerfully displayed.

Still, to add that shuffleness of the drums from “Waltz” to this song wasn’t something I expected yet it is something I’m fully appreciating.

When the chorus kicks in, the piano plays in the background, adding a lot of nostalgia to those fickle, delicate notes.

The fact that the piano was put in the back – your back – in the mix ends up showing that those memories are in the past and unreachable as you look into the present and future ahead of you and wish you could revisit those. This is a simple composition touch that helps

In the second verse, there is a cheeky detail in the song as the composition slowly shifts into a ska-inspired melody and rhythm before returning to his melancholic, slow tempo and simple rhythm.

As you revisit those memories in the composition, you arrive at the bridge. From the background comes a screaming guitar solo to the spotlight, making your jaw drop in awe. As the song progressed, a solo like this didn’t sound like it’d fit the composition yet it is seamless due to the frequent changes in tempo and rhythms through the song.

Lovely work on the crash and chinas in the drums to accentuate Saito’s vocals as the bassline goes on full solo in the outro. A strong ending to a song that perfectly summarizes this album.

4 – ノクチルカ (Noctiluca)

In the middle of the vast, deep, dark sea, “Noctiluca” slowly floats into the unknown with a delicate piano melody leading the way. The rhythm is slow, and the piano echoes but doesn’t meet anyone.

This downtempo ballad – a first in Soma Saito’s repertoire – carries itself in a way that will make goosebumps on you.

The piano almost feels like stars reflecting in the sea as you go further and further away from them, exploring the depths as if looking for comfort, for a place to run away and stay there, away from everything.

It is tragically beautiful as the strings quartet joins in the instrumental alongside the slow, muted acoustic guitar riffs.

But don’t expect this song to be a full-time ballad, no.

Soma Saito has more in store for you as, within the two-minute mark, electric guitars and powerful drums join in in Glam-rock fashion, showing the inner conflict before reverting to that delicate, dreamy, beautiful yet extremely delicate, dark and broken path we were set in.

When it appears the song has ended as the opening piano melody stays alone playing in the background, something odd happens.

The melody, that, when the song started, was perfect and pristine, is now broken and imperfect as the key changes for its last notes before Soma Saito returns to the spotlight on the vocals.

When it comes to the vocals, this is the first time Soma Saito tackled a ballad as a solo artist. As expected, he didn’t go with the powerful belting approach but, instead, he opted to go for your feelings with a delicate, yet extremely emotionally charged performance with his gently, almost lullabyish vocals.

This results in, alongside the instrumental, “Noctiluca” being one of the best songs so far in this album. It is beautiful and emotional. A song that makes you want to protect the protagonist in this story. Hug them, protect them, and tell them their beauty shouldn’t be hidden.

5 – 共犯者 (Kyohansha)

Following it comes “Kyohansha” which brings a lot of new things to the table and, honestly, it has a lot to unpack. The first couple of seconds into this song you’ll feel like you’ve just shuffled to another CD by a different artist.

I’m not kidding, for a couple of seconds I couldn’t understand where this quirky song came from, with electronica coming out of nowhere.

But worry not! Saito is not going full on EDM for this track although this song brings a lot of elements from the genre into its composition.

The verses are speedy with both Saito’s vocals and the bass + guitar combo going fast in the frenetic soundscape.

When the chorus kicks in, led by the ride cymbal, the drums go crazy while the guitars bring an element of fun to the composition.

Still, this song will feel – and is – quite chaotic, with many elements going on in the background, especially population the far back of the soundscape (for example, the intro synth is going ballistic on your left ear in the intro and chorus, although going under the radar for most of the song).

In the bridge, the song reverts to a simple rock tune, with clean guitar riffs on both ears, a thunderous bassline, and simple drums however, that doesn’t remain for long.

The last chorus is as crazy and playful in its punchy bassline and cheeky guitar riffs

As far as the vocals go, Soma Saito had to change things around to fit a song as fast and intense as this one. He is performing really fast, riding on his comfortable mid-tones, shifting slightly to rapping in one of the sections, and then back into singing. These shifts occur in a smooth, seamless way which is something I fully appreciate.

A bit of an oddball but still plenty enjoyable, “Kyohansha” will throw you off in this CD. If not for that intro, the song would be perfect.

6 – Riot!

Overdriven guitar riffs lead the way in “Riot!” which brings out old-school punk-rock-meets classic rock vibes to the spotlight.

The guitars are low, the drums incisive and the bassline punchy even if not as prominent as in other songs in this album.

In punk-rock fashion, “Riot!” is speedy and intense, focusing on its liberating vibe more so than on its complexity in the composition.

As a result, the verses will fly by in an instant, and the chorus is really simple – and can get a bit repetitive, especially on CD (although I can imagine this song working amazingly in a live show).

The bridge features a shredding guitar solo with explosive drums, going ballistic on the cymbals as everything quiets down to give way to the muffled electric guitar riffs leading up to the final chorus.

When it comes to the vocals, Saito’s vocals match the energy in this song and you can feel throughout the performance that he’s having a blast. In a way, this song reminds me a lot of “Summerholic!” although “Riot!” has a heavier sound and is more intense. Not the highlight of this CD but certainly an interesting addition.

7 – mm

Mutted acoustic guitar chords create the intimate backdrop to “mm” as Soma Saito takes the stage all for himself, delivering one of the most impressive performances in this album.

After the quiet intro, the song welcomes the entrance of a rhodes piano, slowly paced drums, and a deep bassline to add a loungy twist to this intimate and even slightly suggestive song.

When the chorus kicks in, “mm” welcomes the addition of stylish strings, wah-wah guitar riffs and

In the second verse, the strings are used in legato as an accent to specific parts of the instrumental, adding another layer of elegance to this track.

The bridge sounds uncannily familiar to me and that’s because it sort of emulates Maroon 5’s “Sunday Morning”. Over that emulation is over rather fast as overdriven guitar riffs join in for a brief solo before disappearing and leaving the stage back to Soma Saito.

Let’s talk about Soma Saito’s vocals in this song. Let’s? Because he’s on a whole other level of suggestive and alluring in this performance. While I consider “Vampire Weekend” or even “Tonight” and “Zakuro” to have really sexy performances, “mm” surpasses all of those by far. BY FAR. (Although it’s not as catchy or addictive as “Vampire Weekend” is.)

Saito brings a bit of a wobble – emulating vibrato -, and also brings his signature crystal clear mid tones and powerful tenor highs.

But to add to that is the legato in his vocals, the breathy accents, and the glimpses of raspiness in his vocals that add a seductive edge to his performance. He even lowers his tone to faux baritone in the bridge which is another nice touch to what is a tantalizing performance so far.

“mm” is certainly the type of song that will make you stop, blush a bit, and then smirk like a schoolgirl in love. It brings that side in you.

8 – 雨の庭 (Ame no Niwa)

Things change around for “Ame no Niwa” as the song opens with a nostalgic piano melody echoing in the empty soundscape.

Right off the bat, Soma Saito goes and impresses with the most beautiful display of technique in this album. The way he raises his notes goes on the scale for those high, crystal clean notes and then… then adds vibrato to them is… divine.

I was not expecting him to bring vibrato to his performance as Saito is not the type of singer to have a strong vibrato. But oh boy… this surprise is unbelievably good.

The piano melody opens its doors to legato strings, melancholic, longing, and overflowing with emotion.

However, the piano suddenly goes darker, into the low notes, changing the tone of this song from bright and beautiful to a somber, and melancholic one.

The vocals midway through feel like a lullaby being sung to the listener, holding you close and protecting you.

Pizzicato strings join in the second chorus of the song, adding a layer of gentleness to a song so delicate, so fickle, so breathtaking as this one.

For the second pre-chorus/chorus, things change around on the vocals. While in the first one, he added vibrato to the high notes, in this part, he adds a breathy falsetto filled with legato to that vibrato.

When people ask you if Soma Saito’s a good singer (or why people say he’s among the best male seiyuu solo artists)… this is the song you should share with them.

Wow. Just… Wow. Saito, what you did here in this performance is… beautiful.

This is the best song of the album, hands down.

9 – Puppet Mood

“Puppet Mood” takes the listener back to the playful rock we had a couple of tracks ago.

This is a cheeky classic rock tune with overdriven guitars, fun drums, stylish organ melodies, and a punchy bassline that will have you singing and clapping along to it.

The verses have muted electric guitars in the first part, leading to funky wah-wah ones leading up to the washy pre-chorus.

The drums are a driving force in this song, being relentless throughout yet particularly explosive in the outro, adding some fills and accents that really make the composition pop.

In the bridge, the drums go crazy on the hi-hat (to your left side) while the guitar shreds its way, keeping you on the edge of the seat.

When it comes to the mixing in this song, I find it interesting the choice for adding “noise” or “peaking” the vocals to add a retro/lo-fi vibe to the song. This, paired up with muffling is done both to instruments and vocals a bit throughout the song.

Soma Saito’s vocals are incisive and overflowing with energy throughout the performance. I feel that, to give this song more of a “band” and old-school feeling, there was a need to add the whole band as backing vocals.

While I’m not the biggest fan of the intro (and those filler “tu turu tu turu“), I can see this being a really fun song in a live show context. For sure it has everything to be a hit live as puts the whole band on vocals while demanding fan participation.

10 – (Fake)Flowers

(Fake)Flowers arrives to shake things up a little with a fun, danceable sound that has a retro, 80s pop feel.

The instrumental for this song is so groovy, danceable yet loungy and mature, even if a bit playful at its core. “Innocence” and “love” can be sub-themes in this song.

The first part of the verses is quiet, with the bassline and rhodes piano setting the intimate tone of this song. Smoothly, the song enters the chorus and oh boy… you’re in for a treat!

Another mesmerizing performance on the vocal end for Soma Saito as he puts aside his rock singing style to give way to a stylish, old-school pop singing style. And what is better than this? The full-on falsetto in the chorus.

With such a warm and shuffly instrumental, his falsetto vocals are the perfect complement, shining brighter than anything I’ve ever heard from him.

This song shows that Soma Saito wanted to be a pop artist, he’d also be plenty of fun to listen to.

This song is an addictive pop anthem with a warm, groovy bassline, funky guitar riffs, and stylish, old-school piano and synths that will take you to the dancefloor in no time.

It goes head-to-head with “Ame no Niwa” as the best song in this album.

11 – ベントラー (Ventura)

Ventura” ventures the indie-rock route with deep influences of post-rock and acoustic rock. The intro is big and will immediately catch your attention.

The verses are slow-paced and overflowing with nostalgia as the acoustic guitar riffs slowly strum their way throughout the song. Slowly and deeply, the bassline adds a heartbeat to this song, making you emotionally invested.

Drums and guitars change dynamics when the chorus smoothly rolls in, they explode, letting the synth in the background flesh out that dreamy, nostalgic vibe you’ve been feeling since the intro.

The vocal direction in this chorus is one of the most pleasing – albeit nerdy – things in this song. The way the song opens, how the dynamics change, and how Saito’s vocals adapt on the fly, smoothly gliding through the song put a massive smile on my face. It feels right. It sounds right.

Then, the bridge arrives and the piano echoes alone in the empty, endless soundscape, leading to a part you weren’t anticipating given the bittersweet, even nostalgic, tone of this song.

Then, out from the far depths comes that scream, followed by one of the most violent and dirty double guitar solo parts you could even dream of in Saito’s music. This part feels out of place and will catch you off guard during your first listen but it it makes a whole lot of sense.

This journey is almost over, nostalgia, homesickness, and longing, all pile up in this song… and they need a release. Freedom. A new life. A new beginning. Happiness. That scream is the let-out of those pent-up frustrations, an indication of wanting to move on. It is the perfect ending to the regular version of the album (for those only getting the digital version).

But there’s more…

12 – [untitled bonus track]

Wrapping up this series of small, emotional tales of nostalgia, homesickness, and longing is the bonus track – at the time of writing this review, still untitled.

In this song, the longest in this album, Soma Saito takes his acoustic guitar in hand and slowly guides us.

Slowly, he adds an electric guitar to your left ear as the acoustic guitar continues to lead the way in that simple melody. Then, as he reflects on the possibility of being “forgotten” and “forgetting”, a second overdriven electric guitar joins into your right.

As it is, this song has you surrounded by guitars as Saito stands in front of you on stage playing the acoustic guitar. In this soundscape it’s only him, the guitars and yourself. It is quite the impactful song especially because there are no distractions whatsoever.

The song includes a powerful, dirty, overdriven guitar solo, bringing back some “Kessho Sekai” vibes into it with the 90s shock-rock style of guitar solo.

And like this, Soma Saito’s 3rd album “Fictions” closes its curtains on a high.


Final considerations:

If you were expecting Soma Saito to come forth with an overaching story in “Fictions” you will be surprised!

This time around, the genius singer-songwriter decided to focus on small, individual short stories – each song being one of those – under the themes of nostalgia, longing and homesickness instead of having a concept and a story being told across all its tracks.

This is the first thing that will throw you off. I know, for sure, that I was thrown off until “Kyohansha” started playing. Why?

Because, up until then, it felt that there was an overarching story but from that song on, it felt more like this album was a collection of songs under a specific theme more so than a massive concept with an overarching story.

With that being said, this is an album with a straightforward concept, presentation, with no room for lots of interpretation. Each song is a different fiction and most, if not all, songs touch upon those themes be it in the lyrics, the origin of the stories or the instrumentalization.

Another thing that also confirms this album doesn’t have a story but a collection of stories is the fact that the hidden track is not a twist. It feels and sounds like any other track in this album: an essay about the main concepts.

All this to say, Soma Saito’s “Fictions” will throw you off but in a really good way.

While many of you – me included – were already bracing for complex story to analyze and dissect over various listens, Soma Saito throws us a curve ball and gives us the most honest and straightforward album we could get. I love this. In a way, what he created with “Fictions” is a twist to what we think he does and is as a storyteller (and singer-songwriter).

As such, good news for new fans just finding Saito for the first time: you can choose whichever song you want to listen in this album and you can do so standalone. This is an important shift from the concept/storytelling-heavy “Yin/Yang“, “my beautiful valentine” and “in bloom” in which you had to listen to the whole CDs to make sense (or, at least, understand) the song.

This makes “Fictions”, Soma Saito’s most welcoming album for newcomers to get into.

At the same time, the album feels more “pop” than even “quantum stranger” felt. Yes, even if this album has more rock songs than “quantum stranger” had.

The lyrics are more pop driven – simpler and catchier -, the sound is softer and more radio-friendly. In a way, the mix of shoegaze with indie rock coupled with two ballads and a retro pop tune is responsible for that.

Interesting thing here: Saito performs “(Fake) Flowers” with such a style and quality that you wouldn’t even say he’s actually an alternative rock artist. He does sound like a full-fledged pop star in that song and I loved every second of it.

“Hiraeth” is the song that best represents this album’s 3 concepts – nostalgia, longing and homesickness. While I wasn’t particularly moved by it on a first listen, further listens made the song grow on me and it’s now one of my favorites in this album.

The opening one-two-punch “Hammer Girl” and “Sway” are, by now, the best songs to open a Soma Saito album. Groovy, with amazing guitar work and even more impressive bass and drums work, both tracks left quite the big impression on me and raised the stakes for the rest of the album.

“noctiluca” is Saito’s first ballad and oh boy, isn’t this a treat? Emotionally charged and with a beautiful instrumental and performance, this song easily stands out in this album.

“mm” arrived is such a subdued way to claim its way as one of the most sexy-sounding songs in Saito’s repertoire whereas “Ame no Niwa” quickly claimed the title of best song in this album with a mesmerizing vocal performance that shows just how talented Soma Saito is.

“Riot!” and “Puppet Mood” – alongside “Kyohansha” – added a layer of unpredictability and fun to this album although they stand as the least impactful songs in “Fictions”.

And “Ventura” and the – currently untitled – hidden track close this album in a powerful, deeply emotional and eye catching way.

All in all, while Soma Saito’s “Fictions” is not his best album released to date (including full albums and EPs), it is certainly the most playful, bright and easy-listening of them all.

It is also one of the most innovative, a twist in album format for all fans awaiting an overly complex story.

This is my album of the year – and I feel it’ll be as well for many of you – just for the vocal performances quality alone.


Fictions” is available for purchase on CDJAPAN and Amazon Japan.


Fictions” is available on Spotify.

Vanessa Silva
Vanessa Silvahttps://www.handthatfeedshq.com
The Hand That Feeds HQ founder, content creator, and music reviewer. Basically, the only person managing everything at The Hand That Feeds HQ. Stumbling upon Mamoru Miyano's "Orpheus" in 2011 was the start of this journey. If music is thought-provoking or deep, you may find her writing almost essays (not limited to, but it happens a lot with Soma Saito's music). She's the producer and host of the male seiyuu-centric podcast, SEIYUU LOUNGE (see Spotify link in this profile).

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REVIEW OVERVIEW

ハンマーガール (Hammer Girl)
Sway
ヒラエス (Hiraeth)
ノクチルカ (Noctiluca)
共犯者 (Kyohansha)
Riot!
mm
雨の庭 (Ame no Niwa)
Puppet Mood
(Fake)Flowers
ベントラー (Ventura)
[untitled bonus track]

SUMMARY

Soma Saito's "Fictions" offers a refreshing surprise by moving away from his usual overarching story format. Instead, it presents individual short stories in each track, focusing on themes of nostalgia, longing, and homesickness. Each song is a "fiction" ready for you to uncover. The album is more straightforward than his previous concept-driven works, making it accessible for new fans who can enjoy songs independently. With a mix of pop, shoegaze, indie rock, and ballads, "Fictions" has a more radio-friendly sound, with standout tracks like "Hammer Girl," "Sway," "Noctiluca," and "Ame no Niwa." While it may not be his best album to date, it’s playful, bright, and innovative, showcasing Saito's vocal versatility and creativity in ways he had never shown before. "Fictions" is a must-listen and is likely to be a favorite for many this year.

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Soma Saito's "Fictions" offers a refreshing surprise by moving away from his usual overarching story format. Instead, it presents individual short stories in each track, focusing on themes of nostalgia, longing, and homesickness. Each song is a "fiction" ready for you to uncover. The album is more straightforward than his previous concept-driven works, making it accessible for new fans who can enjoy songs independently. With a mix of pop, shoegaze, indie rock, and ballads, "Fictions" has a more radio-friendly sound, with standout tracks like "Hammer Girl," "Sway," "Noctiluca," and "Ame no Niwa." While it may not be his best album to date, it’s playful, bright, and innovative, showcasing Saito's vocal versatility and creativity in ways he had never shown before. "Fictions" is a must-listen and is likely to be a favorite for many this year.Review | Soma Saito "Fictions"