of wolfs and rats
I just got Ryohei's "Rat the wolf". Yes, I know it came out in March. Bite me ;P
Even though I'm actually IN Japan, I get most music news kinda late. Maybe it's because when I finally have time to check the internet I'm usually too tired to look for anything that doesn't come my way on it's own. Or maybe I'm shopping too much at Bookoffs. Nevermind.
First impression - oh my wow, what's going on?! Ryohei started out as an r'n'b-ish guy, but the first track of his new albums sounds so ageHa-performance-expected. The more I listen to this album (track 4 as of now) the more I'm convinced he very much fits within the crowd. There were a few tracks on his BEST of that gave out the vibe of this new inspiration, but this time it's a flat out confession. "I'm a club guy now, take it or leave it".
You know me, I take it.
I'm sure I've written it before, but let me repeat, I have a soft spot for this man. It's even harder to explain now when he doesn't remind me of my teenage crush anymore (the boy got blurred in my memory or Ryohei's getting too old to bear that resemblance anymore, whatever the reason, the connection is lost), but then again he's proved he's getting better and better as an artist too. He's been collaborating with musicians like MAKAI, m-flo, Takeda Shinji, to name a few. Melody doesn't count. Melody is cute and she has a very nice voice actually, just crappy arrangers, lazy composers, and... uh, she's married to Miyavi. Poor Ryohei. I so rooted for this non-existent pairing, and there she goes marrying the walking tattoo T_T. Blew my mind and broke my heart. ...and aside from her, all people I've heard Ryohei working with are well established actual musicians. They wouldn't waste their time if he was crappy, so I guess my unconditional fondness isn't that unconditional after all?
Anyway, back to rats and wolfs themselves.
Good stuff. Not breath-taking, overwhelming great, but good. There's no ballads (good, his ballads were very much whatever), and there's quite a number of tracks that make the itchy feeling wake up inside me. You know, the one that wants you to go see the ocean after midnight? Or run across Rainbow Bridge screaming? (no, haven't done that... yet) All in all, I think I'll buy this album, all the more that it's rather cheap.
PS: Did I mention we have a new flatmate? Fresh import from China, sleeps in Shou's room. They sometimes make noises that leave me wondering about why people keep considering ME lesbian... I'm not happy about sharing the fridge with another person, but my room is still only mine, and the new girl is nice, so I don't mind. Besides, it means my rent gets a bit lower and cleaning duty is once in three weeks now.
PS2: Two days ago at work the infamous Korean guy gave me an I-have-decided-not-to-be-afraid-of-you-scary-woman smile and even said hello. Unfortunately for him I found it uber cute and am currently learning SNSD's "Oh!" for the sole purpose of absentmindedly humming "oh oh oh oh oppareul saranghae ah ah ah ah mahni mahni mae" next time he walks by. because I'm evil and want to see him run away again.
If he doesn't I may actually try befriending him. ;P
Even though I'm actually IN Japan, I get most music news kinda late. Maybe it's because when I finally have time to check the internet I'm usually too tired to look for anything that doesn't come my way on it's own. Or maybe I'm shopping too much at Bookoffs. Nevermind.
First impression - oh my wow, what's going on?! Ryohei started out as an r'n'b-ish guy, but the first track of his new albums sounds so ageHa-performance-expected. The more I listen to this album (track 4 as of now) the more I'm convinced he very much fits within the crowd. There were a few tracks on his BEST of that gave out the vibe of this new inspiration, but this time it's a flat out confession. "I'm a club guy now, take it or leave it".
You know me, I take it.
I'm sure I've written it before, but let me repeat, I have a soft spot for this man. It's even harder to explain now when he doesn't remind me of my teenage crush anymore (the boy got blurred in my memory or Ryohei's getting too old to bear that resemblance anymore, whatever the reason, the connection is lost), but then again he's proved he's getting better and better as an artist too. He's been collaborating with musicians like MAKAI, m-flo, Takeda Shinji, to name a few. Melody doesn't count. Melody is cute and she has a very nice voice actually, just crappy arrangers, lazy composers, and... uh, she's married to Miyavi. Poor Ryohei. I so rooted for this non-existent pairing, and there she goes marrying the walking tattoo T_T. Blew my mind and broke my heart. ...and aside from her, all people I've heard Ryohei working with are well established actual musicians. They wouldn't waste their time if he was crappy, so I guess my unconditional fondness isn't that unconditional after all?
Anyway, back to rats and wolfs themselves.
Good stuff. Not breath-taking, overwhelming great, but good. There's no ballads (good, his ballads were very much whatever), and there's quite a number of tracks that make the itchy feeling wake up inside me. You know, the one that wants you to go see the ocean after midnight? Or run across Rainbow Bridge screaming? (no, haven't done that... yet) All in all, I think I'll buy this album, all the more that it's rather cheap.
PS: Did I mention we have a new flatmate? Fresh import from China, sleeps in Shou's room. They sometimes make noises that leave me wondering about why people keep considering ME lesbian... I'm not happy about sharing the fridge with another person, but my room is still only mine, and the new girl is nice, so I don't mind. Besides, it means my rent gets a bit lower and cleaning duty is once in three weeks now.
PS2: Two days ago at work the infamous Korean guy gave me an I-have-decided-not-to-be-afraid-of-you-scary-woman smile and even said hello. Unfortunately for him I found it uber cute and am currently learning SNSD's "Oh!" for the sole purpose of absentmindedly humming "oh oh oh oh oppareul saranghae ah ah ah ah mahni mahni mae" next time he walks by. because I'm evil and want to see him run away again.
If he doesn't I may actually try befriending him. ;P