[Tokyo Jihad]

What for you've been waiting and/or dreading..I'm ready to write my review!


Unfortunately for SG, no review can go without referencing Variety. This review is no different. Variety was a very polarizing album. You either loved it, thought it was genius or you thought it was utter garbage. As time went on, one side weathered time more than the other though. I think Sanmon Gossip will too be very polarizing in the community, but for much different reasons. Reasons we are already seeing. From song to song one might like the song a lot, where another might think its a mess; to the next track the opposite might be true.


One might be quick to take this as a sign the album is disjointed, uneven. While at times it does go through periods of un-noteworthiness, the album is surprisingly cohesive. When trying to come up with what that common thread was, all I could come up with was “Shiina.” I think that's an understated compliment and maybe what was lacking on Variety – which maybe it's not fair to talk about the Jihen albums. Maybe we should be talking about KZK, SS, and MM. A daunting task as it wasn't until very late in the album that things “click” as a Shiina Ringo album. What's important though is that it does at some point “click.”


One unfair credit Jihen always got was their so-called “ability to blend genres.” What I think was often meant was that they could play other genres, and not necessarily well. In Sanmon Gossip however, I think we do see some of that dubbed “genre blending.” Which, even as I type that, I feel sick about, since it's not “genre-blending” at all. What happens here is more “idea blending.” Like taking a genre song and infusing it with the ideas of another genre (like Bonsai Hadawhere we have what sounds like a very good acoustic song, but take out the acoustic guitar and put in an accordion.) People will still talk about Shiina and genres and blahdy blah, but at least it won't be without someone trying to clarify.


Before I go into track-by-track mode, what's more fitting is if I could do a beat-by-beat review. A characteristic of this album is that not only can each song be polarizing but a song can be polarizing within itself. Plenty of times I started a song thinking “oohh, alright!” just to moments later feel like I had to weather the rest of the song. Just as often did a boring song suddenly become interesting.


:: Ryuukou comes in, and I can't help but be reminded of Himitsu on Adult. I didn't mind the idea of the rap on this song and I think it works quite well (as opposed to Himitsu.) What's more is that since the first time on a Shiina-related album since Adult, we hear a good chorus and hook! The guitar works for me here

:: It's been a long long time since I've been able to say Shiina's singing saves a song, but that's completely the case for Roudousha. I was initially quick to write this off as a cheesy cornball song based off the intro and first verse. Then I warmed up when I heard the tiny bit of synth which made a corny song interesting by adding some depth (*cough* Variety.) Shiina sings really well on the chrorus (*cough* Variety) The thing though is while the instrumentation is interesting, I'm not sure the rest of the song is.

:: “Kabuki”? Is that you again?? Mittei Monogatari's chorus is very strong, but the rest of the song is a bit of a wash. The flute is at the very least a 'different' choice during the verses.

:: O Chiten Kara sounds like a college radio song. Which is pretty cool.Up until now all the songs were very fast and in your face, whether you wanted them to be or not. I was very welcoming of this song as a “backing off” and cooling down. I think the songs good in its own right, but what makes it work even better is it's placement in the track order (*COUGH* VARIETY!)

:: Do I really have to talk about Karisome Otome (Death Jazz ver.)? Oooolder than the hills. Okay, lets pretend it's new. In respect to the song, its placement on this album is doing the song so many more favors than just awkwardly isolating this track as a single. “One time...” sucks. The rest has grown on me thanks to the superior HF iteration.

:: I want to be an A-mer-i-can! I want to be an A-mer-i-can! I thought this was Sanmon Gossip, not West Side Story. Tsugou no Ii Karada is the Disney-Neko song on the album. Strong singing from Shiina wasn't going to stop me from writing this song off entirely. However the neat echo vocals at about 1:58 would have me consider it.

:: I was quick to lament a understated, blasé song like Shun being the lead (video) single. But now I get it. It's the one song that's easy to understand and doesn't need to be “explained” to a general audience. That's not to say I think Shun is a bad song. Its very groovy, which I dig. I'm not sure you can really hate this song, but I can understand people really loving it.


:: Futaribocchi Jikan is a song I'm glad we heard prior to the album as it put, at least my, hopes in check. Its the “Bokoku Jyousho” of the album. But, remember when the “Bokoku Jyousho” of the album was “Tsumiki Asobi”? Man, those were the days. (It's not terrible, but I can't say it's all that great.)

:: Mayakashi Yasaotoko was a let down to me. The intro had me psyched. However, as the song built up, it became apparent the song really wasn't getting anywhere. What you assume to be the bridge was actually the chrorus. Poor SAPS, can't say either of their tracks are highlights. The outro is just as good as the intro though.

:: Togatta Teguchi comes in like a freight train (or an Evanescence song.) Its a more songey, rocky Hatsukoi Shoujo...but it doesn't stand up as well as it sounds like it would. The instrumentation here really is great, and you know so is the verse, but the chorus is pretty weak. Especially when compared to some surprisingly well-written melodies in the rest of the album.

:: I guess after Togatta Teguchi, she felt we needed some elevator music in Irokoizata. Maybe we did, but that doesn't change that this is probably the least interesting track on the album. It is retro sounding, which is a plus.

:: Bonsai Hada is the best track on the album. The intro is very clever. Up until this point on the album, I had been waiting for a song that sounded anything like Pre-Jihen Shiina, and here it was. Don't let the accordion fool you, here you can hear the Shiina we were used to hearing very clearly. I think this tracks great, the atmosphere really works for the song.

:: When Yokyou started up witch its crunchy guitars I couldn't help but proclaim “fuckin' A” No matter what SG or even KZK showed us, Shiina is still at her strongest backed by a traditional rock band. Even if it's not the strongest song shes ever written, look at how strong it sounds when produced and arranged this way! The classic rock suit never goes out of style, Shiina.


:: As for Marunouchi Sadistic (EXPO ver.) as a bonus track, I don't mind it much. It's like Boys II Men got a hold of Shiina's catalog. This song boils down to your opinion of RnB music. If you like it, you like this song, if you don't want to hear that kind of music you'll think its a waste of track. I think as a bonus song,it means its just a fun experiment, so I'm 100% fine with this song, even if I might not ever jones to pull up this song on my mp3 player.

So whats the verdict. I think this is an extremely interesting album. More interesting than KZK. KZK was belligerent in telling you “I'm interesting.” SG I feel makes you think about the songs and the song creation process, and once you do you'll think it's interesting. I think if you just cursorily listen for hooks and stuff, you'll think its a mess. Which is not to say it's not. It has its very apparent downpoints. But I think this is a case where you allow them because sometimes to make something good, you have to make something bad. If you're experimenting a lot, not everything is going to work like you'd hope.


I don't know how history will look upon SG. I was very sure that Variety would be seen poorly, HF be seen as half-finished, and Adult as the better TJ album. I think SG will always be in the shadow of it's three bigger brothers, but I don't think when talking of Shiina albums the word “worst” will ever be readily used to describe SG. Sanmon Gossip has its own identity that is very different from the others. It doesn't even always feel like its trying to make the catchiest or best songs. While that sounds like something I'd on any other day say was a terrible idea, it somehow comes together to make an album that is undeniably Shiina, just like the three before it.


Jihad's three picks: Bonsai Hada, Yokyou, O Chiten Kara