I gotta say, seeing
Koi no Urikomi from Dynamite Out in 1080p was a huge treat:
FYI, Ringo's solo account has also uploaded some more lives from the
Toutaikai concerts from 2013.
As for the News EP... pleasantly surprised actually. Markedly better than
Color Bars was - more consistent, more unified. While CB musically and thematically resembled 5 individuals itching to do their own thing,
News really sounds like the gang is glad to be back together again.
The shining tracks here are
Uruuruuruu and
Neko no Te wa Karite. Uru sounds like a breezier, sunnier
Omatsuri Sawagi while Neko is the most interesting of the bunch. Otherwise,
Eien no Fuzai Shomei and
Genyaku Player sound very reminiscent of Discovery-era Jihen, which makes me wonder if they could be holdovers or if the band is intentionally trying to create continuity? Either way, if these tracks sound familiar, they're still pretty solid.
Not their most ambitious or experimental release, but that's not necessarily what I'm expecting from a 5-track EP. Whether this is pure promotion for Ringo Olympics or if TJ is sticking around for a while, it feels nice to have them back.