1st Period DX
Artist: BLOOD
Album: 1st Period DX
Musicians: Fu-ki (vocals), Kiwamu (guitar), Kaede (bass)
Composer/Lyricist:
Release Date: 20 Apr 2005
| 1st Period DX - BLOOD Tracklisting: 01. Maria *Bold titles - recommended listening. |
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OVERVIEW
An indie band that formed in February 2002, BLOOD set out to express the range of human emotion in their music. With 1st Period DX, though, they fail. To be honest, this band confuses me. They have a lot of interesting ideas in their songs. Kiwamu and Kaede play their instruments well, and Fu-ki’s voice, while not really all that different from the majority of J-rock singers, is at least beautiful and emotional. But this is one instance where the whole is not greater than the sum of its parts. In fact, the whole is terrible in comparison. Fu-ki sounds horribly out-of-tune throughout the entirety of half of these songs, and at least once in most of the other songs. Harmonies that sound good with the melodies do not mesh with the background music skillfully provided by the guitar and bass, as though each line was written separately and were not played together prior to recording. The melodies themselves sound slapped together in a few of the songs. Fu-ki does not sing them with confidence, as though he has no idea what his next note is going to be; his words and notes slur together uncertainly, and the natural emotional tremor in his voice as he shifts between notes only adds to the feeling that he’s wavering without a clue. With the exception of one truly outstanding song on this album, 1st Period DX is just a poor album that is ruined by its faulty execution.
THE GOOD
Tsuioku ~I remember you~
“Tsuioku” is that one outstanding song that I mentioned in the Overview. This song has the energy that the other songs lack, as well as a strong and memorable melodic vocal line. Kiwamu and Kaede are finally able to showcase their skills with short but good solos spaced throughout the song. Fu-ki’s vocals are focused and vibrant (and most importantly, in tune). The flowing piano line underneath supports the song without overshadowing any of the other parts and adds a sense of purpose and direction that is sorely missing from their other songs. “Tsuioku” clearly shows all of BLOOD’s potential. Every aspect of this song manages to come together into a complete and awesome sound; for once, they get the execution right. On its own, I’d give “Tsuioku” an 8 rating. Unfortunately, it is included on an album that is definitely not worthy of such a rating.
THE BAD
Moebius no Wa
“Moebius no Wa” begins on a strong note with an interesting guitar opening. It quickly goes wrong from there. As soon as Fu-ki joins in, his voice is buried under the other sounds. Fu-ki seems to have no clue where the melody is going; words and notes melt together without distinction or direction. The melody, sounding out-of-place and too slow, contrasts the energetic guitar line as Fu-ki hangs on each note and only reluctantly moves to the next one. Overall, it creates a sound that might be good for background music, but this is definitely not a song you’ll actually want to listen to… nor one you’ll remember once it’s over.
morphine
Fu-ki’s voice starts out sounding very good here. The lower ranges definitely suit him; his voice sounds in-tune and strong. As soon as he moves up and the harmony joins in, though, it feels out-of-tune. Perhaps it is the harmony line that does not go well with the guitar line, or perhaps his vocals really are that out-of-tune. Whatever the case, it is not a pleasant experience. Each part might sound good on its own, but altogether, it sounds strange and muddled.
hakuchumu
This song just begins on a bad note, with high-pitched bells that are clearly not in-tune with Fu-ki’s voice. My ears actually ached when I listened to the opening. It’s really too bad, since this song has energy and might be decent if it had been given a chance.
Tsumi to Batsu
“Tsumi to Batsu” has a very good guitar opening. This song could really be awesome, but Fu-ki again sounds out-of-tune. “Tsumi to Batsu” feels like a karaoke singer is performing it, and he’s struggling to hit notes that are out of his range. Fu-ki is clearly capable of reaching these notes; what he’s not capable of is hitting them on the right tone, since his high notes are all off. I really like the melody for this song, as well as the guitars and the background music. But vocals need a lot of work, or the guitars need retuning, so that they don’t sound so out-of-tune when they get put together. “Tsumi to Batsu” is the perfect example for what makes this band so frustrating. You can see plenty of potential in what they play and sing, but in the end the execution falls very short. If they were aiming for an atonal sound in their music, then they’ve succeeded. I’m guessing they’re not, though, so 1st Period DX just completely fails.
The Rating: 2
