SID’s Nokoriga is Full of Springtime Warmth
Springtime in Japan is a season of change. As the cherry blossoms bloom, heralding warmer days to come, school years start anew and business turns a new leaf. It is a season that endlessly captures the imaginations of songwriters who try to convey the joy, the sorrow, and the nostalgia that spring change brings. In Nokoriga, SID have done exactly this in stunning fashion.
Despite going for the typical ballad style of spring songs for “Nokoriga,” SID lent their class to a piece that could have been formulaic and dull. Initially, the clichéd string accompanied introduction plays out in drama-friendly tones that have been heard a thousand times before–but this soon takes a back seat to SID’s simple musical prowess. The vocals are a delight. Mao sings the tale of youthful memories with gentle, wistful feeling. He is perfectly complemented by subtle, un-intrusive drums and guitars that evoke warm spring evenings under the blossoms. “Nokoriga” is a beautiful pop ballad. Notwithstanding the strings, it’s a demonstration in how to write slow pop songs without being boring.
“Graduation” on the other hand is a perkier piece, complementing the sad reminiscent feel of “Nokoriga” with a sense of optimism. The guitars take on a fittingly grungier edge to begin with, matching the pacier rhythm and varying to more delicate notes in verses where Mao takes the fore. This song captures so well that bright mood of excited youth in the season in which newly graduated University students start their first steps into the adult world.
The final piece on the single is a live recording of “Higasa” from the 2011 Jack In The Box festival. It makes for a pretty addition that shows that stunning SID quality remains consistent both live and on CD.
SID occupy that softer realm of visual kei but they are masters of pop-rock and jazz themes, rarely descending into childish, overdone j-pop. Nokoriga exemplifies this, and is ideal for those crossing over from the world of pop to rock, or simply for those who like to listen to a nice tune on a warm May evening.
Limited Edition Type A: 3 Track CD + DVD
Limited Edition Type B: 3 Track CD + DVD
Regular Edition: 3 Track CD
Tracklist:
- Nokoriga
- Graduation
- Higasa (Live from JACK IN THE BOX 2011)
Sarah began her journey into the world of Japanese music courtesy of L'Arc-en-Ciel back in the year 2000. Since then, she has combined a love of music and music journalism into writing for European Japanese music magazines and assisting with Japanese interest events in the UK. After graduating in Law from the University of Nottingham, she put 'the law-thing' on the backburner to dive into the live scene in Tokyo for 3 years. Sarah returned to the UK in September 2010 to do that 'law-thing' and now works for a Japanese ｂank in London. Her heart is always in the music and fashion in Tokyo and her life is balanced between her time in the UK and Japan. When she has time, she also blogs at http://lifeismerodii.blogspot.com
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