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Popular among
anime fans for their songs: "Fourth Avenue Café", "Niji” and "Blurry
Eyes"; L’Arc~en~ciel debuted last 1993 with their album: Dune. Now, they
are arguably the most popular band in Japan, releasing best-seller singles,
and albums. Laruku are Hyde (Vocals), Tetsu (Bass), Ken (Guitar), Yukihiro
(Drums).
Each of L’Arc~en~Ciel’s album has a different ‘feel’ to it: Their first two albums, Dune and Tierra had a mystical yet strong and gothic sound; Heavenly has Laruku’s original dark style, but is combined with a bit of mainstream; True, and Heart are more European-influenced and more pop; Ark and Ray, the two albums released this year, have a lot of upbeat pop and bitter rock. Their second major album, heavenly, was released last September 1, 1999, and hit No. 3 in the Oricon chart after a week. There is a variety in the songs included in the album: catchy pop music, heavy dark tunes, and a couple of slow passion filled ones. The album opens with consecutive upbeat songs such as "Still I’m With You", which was also used to start their concerts lives. The second track, "Vivid Colors", has impressive guitar work, making the song a fan-favorite. The melody is lively and cheerful, something people would want to sing to. It ends with the guitar fading giving a nice echo effect. It is then followed by "And She Said", which was released as a video single after "Vivid Colors". "And She Said" sounds very amusing, it’s rhythm playfully changes all throughout the track. The transition is unnoticeable and sound effects are also incorporated into the song, making it an enjoyable listen. Another fan fave is "C’est La Vie", whose melody is simple and bouncy -- It immediately gets stuck in your head after hearing it a couple of times. In contrast to these happy songs, there are also dark and bitter-sounding ones with heavy guitars like "The Rain Leaves A Scar", "Secret Signs", and "Cureless". The fourth track, "Secret Signs" is fast-paced, with great guitar work and drums. "Cureless", in the other hand, is a bit slower, but with a better bass line and tune. L’arc~en~Ciel’s style is very distinct here, with a touch of European-influences theme, resulting to a wonderful rock song. "Natsu no Yuutsu" is a combination of both styles, with its rhythm upbeat and catchy, but its mood heavy and seemingly tragic. There are also the soft paced tracks that are just full of emotions. They are, indeed, very moving and powerful. In "Shizuka no Umi De" you can only hear Hyde’s soft singing and a bird-like shrill at the beginning of the song. Aside from being the longest track, it is also very slow-paced. It has a dream or trance-like effect, especially during the part where the whole band chants: "Feel heavenly…" until the end of the song. "Garasudama" is similar to "Shizuka no Umi De". It starts with the soothing sounds of waves, which is followed by the soft plucking of the guitar. You can also notice the bass enter and easily blend into the guitar line and Hyde’s singing as the song gradually becomes faster and louder. After that, it --once again-- becomes slow and relaxing, with the soft sound of shore-break, leaving you awed in the end. Majority agree that Heavenly, their 2nd major album, is Laruku’s best work. The interesting combination of songs makes the whole album very easy to enjoy and appreciate. Ken’s music, which are usually cheerful and upbeat, and Hyde’s poetic words create a mood that is delightful, and quite pleasing. The mix of songs just makes it very fascinating, and not monotonous or boring, depicting the band’s talent and ingenuity. |
