Trignal makes a confident and mature comeback with “Ironna Katachi”, mini-album that easily arrived to steal the show and earn the title of best album of 2023.
Title: イロンナカタチ (Ironna Katachi) Label: Kiramune Release date: 22/11/2023 Genre: Rock/Jazz/Space Disco/Ska
Tracklist:
1 - CHASE THE DESTINY 2 - たしかに僕らは 3 - いろあい 4 - Honey Ready Go!!!（rearrangement version） 5 - INFIORATA 6 - 言わばひとつのラブソング
Track by track analysis:
1 – CHASE THE DESTINY
Trignal kicks off this mini-album with “CHASE THE DESTINY”, song that brings a robust rock sound to the spotlight.
The intro features muffled guitar riffs taking turns on your ears before bringing in a bassy drum kit and punchy bassline along, leading the way to the first verse.
The verses are surprisingly clean and comfortable, with the instrumental creating a stage for Trignal to showcase how much they’ve grown as performers.
The guitars play in the background, splitting into two different overdriven parts played in a comfortable tempo. Each of them is panned to different sides (noticeable if you’re listening to this song with headphones or through really good speakers) and in the background let’s not forget about that warm, groovy bassline driving the song forward.
When it comes to the chorus, you can expect some excitement to take over however you can notice that not much changed about the instrumental – besides the bassline taking much more of the spotlight and the drums going more splashy instead of tight around the hi-hat and snare. With those two changes, the song opens the curtains to you and showcases an uplifting soundscape for you.
On the vocal end, Trignal performs in unison in the chorus, contrasting with the solo parts in the verses. Teamwork is key in this song, keeping the energy levels high and making sure you get amped for it, singing alongside them.
The bridge brings a guitar solo to the spotlight and would you look at that, it is shredding its way through the song for over 15 seconds!
All and all, Trignal showcases a mature transformation in “CHASE THE DESTINY”, continuing in a way the work the trio had done in “Tricolore”.
Welcome back, Trignal!
2 – たしかに僕らは
“Tashikani bokura wa” changes things around by bringing a stylish sound that instantly caught my attention for its loungy vibes.
This song brings a rhodes piano to set the scene in this warm and welcoming soundscape with hints of nostalgia underneath.
In the background, atmospheric synths add a dreamy layer to this tune. What you have in front of you is a soundscape you want to be in, no matter what. This feels truly like a relaxing tune you’d listen to in a lounge or a quiet bar and I’m all in for these vibes.
The verses give way to smooth singing by Tsubasa Yonaga (and just notice how much power and life there is back in his voice!) and Ryohei Kimura.
And the chorus for this song is unreal. Absolutely unreal. This is the Trignal I hoped to find here. This is it. This is THE song.
Trignal shows just how much they’ve improved and this chorus – performed in unison but with clarity for all three members although it is obvious that Ryohei Kimura is leading the way with an emotional performance reminiscing on the old days, thanking fans for waiting for them.
The second verse cranks up the jazzy influences in this song with a rhodes piano and funky guitar playing alongside Takuya Eguchi’s stylish slow-paced rap.
I’m not even kidding, by the time the second chorus kicked in, I was already singing along to this track. Sorry for the language but damn, this is a good song!
And if this all wasn’t amazing, the group brings a fancy blues-inspired guitar solo, bringing a bit of spice to this chillout instrumental.
A little detail few will notice is the lick or fill that connects the pre-chorus to the chorus. In the first pre-chorus, you get a bass lick and when you get to the 2nd pre-chorus you get a fancy piano melody. This is a fancy detail that adds even more quality to this song.
When “Tashikani bokura wa” wraps up you… well, you hit play again and don’t let those chill vibes, downtempo space disco vibes go away.
3 – いろあい
“Iroai” brings a stripped-down jazzy sound in which the piano and drums are king. The soundscape is warm and feels comfortable. The funky guitars and punchy bassline join in before the pre-chorus to give an extra oomph to this song.
The verses are sweet and stylish, keeping the instrumentalization to the bare minimum to create a jaunty yet mature jazz bar soundscape with a sort of an unplugged band on stage.
This is the first time Trignal performs a song with such a vibe and takes you to such a setting.
A rhodes piano teams up with a bright piano and organ right from the start, setting the stage for this song.
“Iroai” thrives on its toned-down jazz sound and honestly, I’m all in for it as it gives more opportunities for the three members to shine on the vocal at the same time creates a “feel good” vibes that you can’t shake off (and why would you?).
The chorus brings wah-wah guitar riffs, a beautiful piano melody contrasting with the punchy bassline. The sound is jaunty and plenty of fun, making you want to join in the fun and sing along with the group.
The second verse changes things around a bit, adding more movement to the instrumental by bringing the drums and bassline right from the start but also adding more depth by adding a melodic acoustic guitar solo. That solo is accompanied by the backing vocals provided by Trignal.
For this song, all members sing, taking turns in the verses while performing in unison for the first part of the chorus and leaving the second part to yet another set of solo parts leading up to the next verse.
The outro provides an opportunity to showcase Tsubasa Yonaga’s ad-libbing skills and riffing and he sounds so well in here that, for a second, I was not even sure I was listening to him. Not only has he overcome a massive challenge – with dysphonia – but he’s also changed his singing style and improved a lot. This outro is not just a repetition of what happened in the chorus, it brings a lot to the performance, making it wrap up on an elegant note.
4 – Honey Ready Go!!!（rearrangement version）
What happens when an oldie gets a rearrangement that matches the quality and style that Trignal now has? You get another banger mixing pure EDM with Space Disco.
“Honey Ready Go!!!” got a massive upgrade with this rearrangement, replacing its bubbly vibe with a stylish, mature vibe that suits where Trignal now is as a group.
A piano melody serves as the lead to this instrumental but other than that, everything about this song is completely different.
You have atmospheric synths serving as the backdrop to this fun and – now – dreamy song. The bassy beat goes really low to the point that it brings intended distortion to the instrumental, the beat in the chorus shuffles quite a lot, making this song quite the dance banger.
The intermission with the group in unison is a fantastic touch to this song, connecting to a second verse that brings different sonorities for each of the members.
But it’s not only the instrumental that got an upgrade. The vocals also got a massive upgrade. I’ve said it before, if Trignal re-recorded and rearranged its back catalogue, this group would instantly go down in history as the best seiyuu unit.
You can’t even compare their vocals right now to when “Honey Ready Go!!!” as it would be unfair. Trignal changed so much for good and this laidback take on their music feels so right.
5 – INFIORATA
Uplifting string melodies and a beautiful piano melody open the doors to “INFIORATA”, song that puts on the spotlight a more pop-driven Trignal.
The verses are bright and riding on a groovy bassline. On your left side, you will find strings and on the opposite side you have splashy drums, both leaving the center stage for Trignal to take it and make it theirs.
The sweet front of the verses carries over to the chorus but there’s much more to it. The build-up provided by the strings opens the curtains to a beautiful soundscape and a warmth that, up until then, wasn’t in this song. “INFIORATA” feels like a nod to the group’s debut sound, upbeat, bright however with a different, mature twist.
The brightness and bubbliness are toned down to a point in which their performance is heartwarming more so than fun. And it suits their vocals so well, especially as those legato strings play in the background.
As far as the vocals go, Trignal is all about those warm, cozy mid-toned vocals to deliver a performance that will put a big smile on your face.
This is a song that feels like a warm hug as well as a sweet pep talk, all at the same time.
6 – 言わばひとつのラブソング
And wrapping up this mini-album, Trignal presents their fans with “Iwaba hitotsu no Love Song” and you get another surprise.
The sound is fun, bringing brass to the spotlight, strings, and a jaunty piano melody. And while the beat rides on those triplets and bassy snare combo, there are heavy ska influences in here that make this song so fun to listen to.
There is a natural bounce to this song that will instantly make you dance – or vibe – alongside the song. The verses provide a quieter stage for each member to perform, toning down the brass quite a bit while panning it to the sides as each member takes turns in the mic to create this sweet performance.
The chorus is addictive and with the right tension level going on, with the brass being important in dispelling that but it is really the guitar solo – albeit hidden in the background – that takes that tension away and welcomes you to yet another chorus that demands your participation.
“Iwaba hitotsu no Love Song” wraps up this album in style and with the same level of power and confidence as when it started.
It’s time to say, welcome back, Trignal!
Final considerations
Trignal’s “Ironna Katachi” is a genuinely confident mini-album showcasing just how polished and talented this group is as well as how much they have matured along the way.
Their sound – which was already amazing in “Tricolore” – was vastly upgraded to fit with the group’s current singing skills and talents and the whole vibe about their songs showcases just how experienced and mature the group now is.
The intro to this mini-album is pure class and confidence in my opinion. “CHASE THE DESTINY” is nothing like their usual music, fully embracing a comfortable style of rock, and then comes the big surprise, “Tashikani bokura wa”.
“Tashikani bokura wa” is, single-handedly, Trignal’s best song released to date.
It is unreal how mature and stylish it sounds not to mention that the vocals are in perfect harmony with each other as well as with the instrumental.
This is what happens when a song is perfectly tailored to the vocals of a group, you get a banger.
And when a group grows and matures, this is the stylish sound you should get. I was surprised with the group going for a downtempo space disco for this song but it was the perfect addition.
But what follows is quite impressive in its own way.
“Iroai” brings jazz music to the spotlight, a first for Trignal, and strips it down to the point that the focus is fully on the vocals while still being incredibly stylish and groovy.
“Honey Ready Go!!!” got a massive upgrade with a new arrangement and a new take on the vocals by all members. The difference is big in comparison with the original song. I don’t even know how to start describing just how massive of an upgrade this song goes.
Well, if it helps, I was not a fan of the original song and for this rearrangement, I have a newfound love for it.
Space-disco and pure EDM teamed up to create a dreamy and danceable downtempo tune, much in line with the overall tempo in this mini-album.
“INFIORATA” is the song that most closely resembles the sound that Trignal used to have, however with a completely different approach to it. I feel like this song ended up putting a smile on my face – while being bubbly – instead of making me wish it ended, fast (like I usually do with bubbly pop music). The mature approach to their – once – bubbly pop sound made the song stand out to me as the focus was on making each member sound good whenever they got the spotlight for themselves.
And wrapping up this mini-album is “Iwaba hitotsu no Love Song”, a song that, from its title, I anticipated was a ballad but color me surprised. It is a fun pop tune with ska influences and a jaunty sound that will make you bounce as you listen to it.
And speaking of tempo, in “Ironna Katachi” you can feel a group that took its time to come back but also a group that is now following their own path instead of following someone else.
They’ve found their sound, and their image and have singing skills to match all that confidence. This growth has made it so that Trignal is now comfortably trailing that path with you alongside them and it feels warm, cozy and never rushed.
I love this feeling a whole lot.
Trignal’s long hiatus made this mini-album all the sweeter but believe me, even if you are not approaching this CD from a longtime fan perspective (like I am), you will still understand why this is the best album of 2023.
Just press play and let the downtempo good vibes sweep in while those sweet vocals take over the stage. There isn’t an album in 2023 that feels this good to listen to be it for the setting it creates as a whole – dreamy and loungy – or for the vocal’s quality.
Trignal nailed it with “Ironna Katachi”. This is not only their best album to date but also the best album of 2023.
“Ironna Katachi” is available for purchase at CDJAPAN. You can also purchase this CD at Amazon Japan (they ship internationally).
“Ironna Katachi” is available for streaming on Spotify.
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