Album Review – supercell – Today is a Beautiful Day

For those who know me personally, its no secret that I love me some supercell. Mostly nagi’s voice that does it for me actually, I am not that acquainted with their Miku stuff besides from a few songs which I’m fond of. Like Melt(has to be the 3M Mix), Hajimete Koi ga Owaru Toki(Chouchou’s cover in particular) and World is Mine(there was a chorus version I was really fond of but Chouchou’s cover is good too).

Either way with their new album Today is a Beautiful Day, it is a good opportunity to rant about them on a whole as it contains all their major single songs along with a plethora of new songs. So wee.

Also I never reviewed music before so I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing.

1. Owari e Mukau Hajimari no Uta

Clocking in at 2:10, its more like one of those album ‘openers’ rather than a full fledged song. The piano and nagi’s voice blend together in a rather relaxing tune to just kick back to. Short and sweet, on a whole simply pleasant to listen to. Can’t comment on the lyrics since my Japanese-fu is low level and I haven’t found translations on it.

2. Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari

An old favourite, probably the first supercell exposure for most of the newer fans. Used as the ending theme for the anime Bakemonogatari. Its pretty upbeat and catchy. The mix of piano and guitar works real well for the instrumentals and the piano solo segment is awesome too.

The song tells a story of an untold and unrequited love, hence the song name, ‘the story you didn’t know’. Its a rather bittersweet song, telling of a strong love(sweet) and yet its untold thus bitter. The idea of a girl secretly in love with you is definitely an idea that tickles the fancy but like if she never tells you then you’ll never know and if you think about it that way, its pretty damn sad.

Didn’t really like the PV all that much. Bunch of puzzled looking Japanese teenagers faffing about with the lack of ability to form proper facial expressions. Real lovely.

3. Hero

Released before for free to listen on Sony Music’s website or something, as the theme to some manga magazine. Not too sure of the details really.

A love song. An awesome one. And this time it doesn’t end badly. About a boy meeting a girl and going for broke!

Basically a boy has long observed a girl from afar, secretly in love with her but afraid of approaching since he’s a gloomy dude which the other girls think is creepy. Oh she’s way too bright for me! But a glimmer of hope appears when she mentions when she likes the doodles he scribbles on his desk. Eventually he finds her crying alone, goes for broke and manages to cheer her up and we can more or less assume its smooth sailing from there on out. So basically be a Hero, go for the girl fuck yeah. Go look it up yourself. Its interesting how the lyrics shifts between the boy’s point of view and a third person but I get the feeling its the girl’s point of view in the end of it all. The love here is portrayed rather poetically in a good way.

Upbeat supercell love song at its finest. Nagi brings out the various emotions swirling around in the song out very well. Starts off gentle, picks up the beat as it goes along. This song is the infectious sort, just crawls into your mind with each listen and you find it on repeat eventually.

4. Perfect Day

A sweet and gentle song about chasing your dreams! Thats how I’m interpreting it anyway. You might feel small at the scope of it all, but you should keep going for it!

The lyrics and tune are pretty melancholic. Slower than the likes of Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari and Hero, but works pretty well in the end. The lyrics progress from being about reminiscing about the past and about how the ‘singer’ feels overwhelmed at how far away but eventually since well, its a Perfect Day…. just keep going for it and you’ll succeed! Or something like that.

While not as upbeat or catchy, its a very relaxing song to listen to. And I guess what Japanese people call ‘healing’. Or iyashikei. Lyrics are quite encouraging on a whole.

The PV for this song is nice. An animated feature. Matches the lyrics as well. Tells a sorta similar story, depicting a rather crestfallen looking girl probably crumbling under the pressure of dream chasing and reminiscing about the past. Thrown into it is her best friend which she seemed to have fallen on bad terms with. All up for interpretation, she left her hometown leaving her best friend behind and it could be for a variety of reasons. But in the end they meet again and we see her running off chasing clouds again so yup, its all cool in the end. Makes me wish they made a short series based on it or something, the characters are attractive enough and like, the best friend character plays a goddamn saxophone. A motherfucking goddamn sax. I had enough of that K-On band nonsense, give me a saxophone girl please.

5. Fukushuu

Revenge. Haven’t found any translations so I won’t have too much to comment about I suppose.

Its one of supercell’s more…. ‘different’ songs so to speak. Like Oshiete Ageru or Worldwide Love I suppose. Its not bad, and I find it stuck in my head a number of times so it certainly qualifies for catchy.

Considering the song’s title and the general tune of the music, its thematically darker than the usual supercell’s fare of love song. More heavy on the rock side, maybe even a bit metal-ish. The song is very tense overall, starts off sorta alluring then the tension builds up. Moody and broody.

Wouldn’t call it one of my favourites since well, I’m a supercell fan because of the love songs but it isn’t a bad addition of an alternate variety. I’d probably like it more once I find a translation or something.

6. Rock ‘n Roll nan desu no

If I had one word to describe this song… it would be cute. In the Oshiete Ageru sense. Upbeat and playful. Its overall a fun song. Cause its Rock ‘n Roll.

7. LOVE & ROLL

Ah, Cencoroll feels like such a distant memory now. Where is my bloody sequel?

I read the lyrics translation at some point but I don’t quite remember what they were and am too lazy to look it up again. But the general gist was definitely a girl trying to get a guy’s attention in a club or something along the lines of that.

And the music fits that perfectly. Nagi sings a whispy alluring sorta way which works very well. Kinda a bit techno-trancey, very electronic instrumentals. At the same time its also pretty relaxing in a sense. Definitely addictive.

8. Feel so good

Whatever the song is about, it definitely sounds classy. Probably the rather jazzy take on the tune. It definitely makes me feel good in a relaxing sense, like I’m chilling in a bar sipping wine or something. Thats the image I’m getting anyway.

Personally I think nagi’s voice isn’t the best fit for these sorta songs but it works well enough. It could work with a bit more sultry in it. Probably my 2nd favourite of the new songs, next to Perfect Day.

9. Hoshi ga Matataku Konna Yoru ni

I still remember when someone uploaded the radio rip onto nico nico douga before the single was released. And when the song got to the chorus and nagi sang out “HOSHI GA~~~ MATATAKU KONNA YORUUUU NIII~~” and multi coloured stars flashed past the screen(nico nico douga has this thing with their videos where you can comment on the vid based on its time, and your comments will scroll past at that moment when other people watch it if they turn the comments on). That was epic enough to make me teary eyed. Makes me believe in the magic that is here tonight.

The ending theme to the visual novel Mahoutsukaii no Yoru which has yet to be released because Type Moon is too busy swimming in Fate franchise money. Or something.

A pure song about a growing love and about a certain special moment under a starlit sky. Hence the song title. The stars are sparkling on a night like this. Or something like that, I’m not too sure!

Lovely, upbeat and extremely catchy.

10. Utakata Hanabi

Used as the ending theme as one of Naruto’s many goddamn themes judging from how bloody long it is and still going. I think it was the 14th, not that I watch it so I’m not sure and don’t really care. Either way I’m not judging the song based on what it was used for.

Definitely one of supercell’s sadder songs. About a lost love, nostalgia over beautiful moments past and a feeling of longing that will never be fulfilled. Its probably appropriate to assume the ‘singer’s’ lover is deceased. Its still a beautiful song even if its on the depressing side. Even though you lost your loved one, your love still burns strongly long after. Its definitely a beautiful idea, even if melancholic. But then its the bittersweet stuff that are the most beautiful. Like you are more likely to get touched by a romantic movie when the dash of tragedy gets tossed in for a climax as opposed to a comedic approach.

I do admit the song didn’t quite catch on me at first, but like a virus it spread and eventually I got hooked. It is the type of song that just sorta grows on you.

11. Yoru ga Akeru yo

This song is meant to put you to sleep. So I would say from the lyrics. One sheep two sheep threee sheeeeeep~~

Until I find translations, I am gonna deduce this song is about counting sheep before you go to sleep.

Very gentle and slow song of the relaxing variety. Perfect fit for that playlist which I listen to while napping.

12. Sayonara Memories

Ah the pure feelings of a maiden’s love that she can’t seem to confess. Which is what the song is about. Its graduation time and its the last chance for a girl to tell a guy she loves him. Goes through all the moments they had together, how she did cute things like purposely lie about a shortcut while walking back home together just so she could be with him longer. And about how her love made her happy but was painful to cope with. Bittersweet. We love that stuff don’t we? That explains chocolates. And coffee.

My favourite supercell song. And it contains violin. I love my violin. Catchy like hell and nagi’s voice tugs on your heartstrings on those key moments. Especially the ‘wakanai-yo’ moment at 4:44. Although that whole verse was strumming on your heartstrings.

But unlike Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari, the song ends with the confession itself. So we can more or less assume happy end for this story.

Now listen to it. Listen to a it a hundred times! In a row! Thats basically what happened with me. Still feels magical even after all those listens.

The PV is definitely interesting. The girl sitting at home at night after graduation, lamenting at her undelivered love letter. Then like another version of her appears, takes her love letter and runs off with it and she goes chasing after. And her alternate self is portrayed as a light projection on passing buildings. Didn’t like the weirdo lipsync bits though, it isn’t nagi in the video but a young actor by the name of… Ema Sakura was it? The whole false quasi-band bits felt weird because it isn’t actually the band. Or is it? Ryo could have been hiding amongst the instrumentalists for all I know.

13. Watashi He

Another mini song like the first track. Basically a piano only + vocal version of Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari, a sequel to the song. Continuing the untold unrequited love thing. And some sorta acceptance of it since ‘it is my story’.

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That concludes rant about album. On a whole I can’t say I wasn’t a bit disappointed in the album in terms of the new song loadout. The songs were good, but only Perfect Day I would call awesome. And two of them were these short two minute things, one of them being well.. sequel with the same tune as an existing song. Although its definitely interesting to see them foray into different sorts of stuff, Fukushuu and Feel so Good being quite different from the usual fare.

Okay time to stop ranting.

~ by depleted on March 25, 2011.