Melody/Story Single Release Appropriately Titled by defspiral
Of the four tracks on the Melody/Story single, there are only actually two songs. In other words, the second half of the single is composed of instrumental recordings of tracks one and two: “Melody” and “Story.” As smooth, sexy and solid as TAKA’s voice is known to be, the instrumental track of “Story” is highly entertaining all by itself! Without the forced imagery of lyrics, the music takes on a story of its very own, bass digging into the dark moments while swiftly strummed guitar cheers things along and bright cymbals uplift the spirit. Of course, the merit of the instrumental lines is probably not the point of this release as defspiral are doubtlessly aware that the visual kei fan-base is packed with karaoke enthusiasts. Lyrically, the number has the feel of a prayer for a distanced loved one. If you have even half the voice that TAKA does, then by all means, sing along. If not, well, you’ll probably enjoy the track all the more for listening.
Rewinding to the first track, we have the sultry opening tones of “Melody,” stylistically plucked to create shivers and nicely backed up by a dangerous digital beat. Here, the melody line comes in, and in this track it’s a welcome necessity over the plain music. In fact, the drama is all in the vocal melody yet despite the cool, classic rock tones, the lyrics are heart-warmingly romantic. They fit nicely with the title through talk of continuing to sing through the pouring rain of sadness until it (the melody) reaches ‘you’ even if that voice starts to break.
The result is a short but sweet listen followed by either a sing-along or alternatively one skipped track before the single’s final highlight. For the record, the green-hedged, shiny cityscape of the cover art, darkened by the shadows of crows is a fitting image to stir up the feelings contained in the music before a single note ever reaches the ears.
Four track CD available at livehouses and through mail order.
Track List
- Melody
- Story
- Melody (Instrumental)
- Story (Instrumental)
Leela McMullen is a strong believer in the philosophy "no music, no life." Having traversed the range of Japanese fandoms, she found her home at last in visual kei and has made it her mission to share what she loves most with the world. Leela completed her B.A. in Japanese language from Griffith University in Gold Coast Australia. She now lives and works in Japan, striving to bring you the goods, hot from the scene. Follow her on twitter for juicy hints of upcoming articles if you've got a bit of Japanese language under your belt! http://twitter.com/#!/LeelaInTokyo
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