It’s no secret that we’re fans of Wagakki Band here at RocketNews24. We’ve been sharing their music with you since 2013, and you can bet we’ll keep sharing their music until they get old and retire! So, as you can imagine, we were eager to get our hands on their new album Yasouemaki. And, now that everyone has had a few days to enjoy all the new tracks, let’s find out what Japanese fans are saying about the album!
Wagakki Band has certainly wasted no time in going from covering Vocaloid tracks to producing an album packed with new, original songs. You’ve likely heard some of them as a result of the many crowd-pleasing videos they’ve produced over the last year, and while their sound hasn’t changed much from their first album Vocalo Zanmai, the original songs have a bit more variety. But are fans happy with this new album?
For the most part, the answer seems to be a resounding yes! The CD/DVD version has around 10 reviews on Amazon Japan at the moment, with an average of 4.5 stars.
One reviewer wrote: “This is music good enough to take over all of Japan…or even the world!” The reviewer went on to compare the band favorably to classic rock bands, mentioning that listening to the album reminded him of first hearing King Crimson or Led Zeppelin when he was young. (He also admitted to being over 50.)
Another reviewer commented, “I listen to this in the car on the way to work, and it fills me with energy. I’m very happy I got this album!”
One reviewer, who was apparently a big fan of the first album, was perfectly happy with the music, but did see a problem certain business aspects of the release: There are just too many versions! It’s an understandable complaint as there are seven versions available (eight, if you count the digital version). Unless you’re a die-hard super fan, though, you will probably be satisfied with just one copy.
▼ One die-hard super fan’s purchase of Yasouemaki
[tweet https://twitter.com/machiya_gachiya/status/639318898915958784 align=center]Another reviewer wrote about initially being unsure about getting the new release, partly because she wasn’t a huge fan of the Vocaloid covers. Nonetheless, she found the music solid and pointed out that the vocals were really good, noting that some of the duets with male vocalists helped add some extra flavor to the album.
Of course, not everyone will be a fan of every album. One reviewer gave the album only three stars, writing: “Somehow, I was a bit disappointed. It’s the same with Japanese blues recently; they produce certain melodies and certain lyrics that create a certain feeling, but it’s just not very original.”
[tweet https://twitter.com/SSkg06/status/639285463467954176 align=center]
Twitter users were also out in force sharing their thoughts on the album, like the tweet above, which reads: “All of the songs are good, but I really like ‘Hanabi’ the best! ♡”
As for this writer, I was personally pretty happy with Yasouemaki! It’s not a particularly big departure from the first album, which I really enjoyed, though I am happy to see them producing original tracks. “Perfect Blue” was one of my favorites, in large part due to the koto sections, though the interplay between the two vocalists added a great contrast. “Hagane” was another stand out track for me, mostly due to the heavier guitars that appear throughout the song. On the other hand, I wasn’t such a big fan of “Kyushu no Sora,” but I generally don’t enjoy rock ballads, so this one is largely on taste.
In addition to the album appearing in music stores across the country, four locations were selected for special displays. Each of the displays held different outfits which singer Yuuko Suzuhana has worn in some of the band’s videos. In the image above, the singer stands next to a display with the kimono she wore in the “Senbonzakura” video at Shibuya Tsutaya.
▼ We found this hiding at the Tower Records Shinjuku location.
For those of you living in Japan, the album can be found at Tower Records and Tsutaya as well as on Amazon Japan in all its different versions, including digital. The album is also available on the Amazon USA, but it won’t come cheap—the prices range from $26 used to $62 new.
If you’ve had a chance to listen to the album, be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section below!
Sources: Amazon Japan,
Images: Amazon Japan