play twice before listening
it's relentlessly happy, zero drama, an entire album of chipper songs like Toumei Ningen -- first impulse when listening was to run
the Jihen attention-to-detail really comes through and every single song on the record is growing on me fast. what initially sounds 'generic' actually ends up sounding 'classic' once expectations settle, I think this is a great album
main thing that hits me though is that Shiina is just another member of the band, she's no longer leading. this is where the band was headed the entire time though, so it's not a surprise, but I still see why some people are so utterly let down by this -- even her vocals sound less like a Ringo spotlight, they're mixed like any other instrument in the band (and she's increasingly sharing lead vocals with the others). so it's natural to miss her, but those solo albums were once-in-a-lifetime things, there's no looking back
give this album some time, it'll pay off
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