Actually on some of the songs I hear a very slight Shugo Tokumaru influence.

Rip AND Scans?!
Thank you so much chubby!

I have to say, I'm digging this album. The songs were a bit different than I imagined (from listening to the previews), but I still love it. Vacant House, The Devil's Pub, Rehabilitation, and Absurd Song all stood out to me.

Wow..having lyrics in front of your face makes such a difference. His engrish was definitely a put off for my ears mang. Ironically though, despite how weird Sawao's [i]pronunciation[/i] is, I'm surprised how solid some of these lyrics came out to be. He could use some more grammar skills, but it's clear to me that his lyrics make more sense this time, even if read a little "between the lines" ( I understand Vacant House PV now XD).

The music was a big improvement I think.. although the style definitely changed, I'm not complaining. That bridge and the solo for The Devil's Pub was a pleasant surprise. The Beautiful Lip's pre-chorus is really catchy. Do You Like A Walk? pace suits Sawao's voice imo. I love how Rehabilitation gradually sounds more interesting as it progresses with the acoustic sound. And it's nice to hear another voice in Youth Club. Old Sundial and Absurd Song are both fun. I really enjoyed it.

[quote="GoldenRhino"]Can we talk about genre here? What musical influences do you guys think Sawao was working with on this album? It's hard to even call it "pop rock" when more of the songs are sort of...cartoony Western pop pastiches. I dont' know what to call it.[/quote]

I don't think he focuses on genre here....to me, it's like he just copies and pastes particular sounds he likes hearing regardless of where it came from. But generally, I hear pop rock in the first half and then it sort of transitions to ....some acoustic sound. "Doll" being a break in between I suppose.

I'm pretty much surprised at myself for liking this so much. I thought I was going to hate Vacant House, but I actually quite like it. Beautiful Lip still doesn't sit well with me. Devil's Pub is fun.

Starting from Old Sundial though, I start to like things a lot more. Treating Doll as an empty transition (I'll give it that, Octave), it really comes together for me in the middle and towards the end. I have always liked Sawao's mid-tempo/slow songs on his solo work. Songs like Clare Butterfly, Dawn Speech, and Purple Moonlight are some of my favorites. But this album takes it to an alternate level, man. I am authentically impressed by the guitar work going on in some of these tracks. I really like what happens during the "Do You Like a Walk" chorus, for example.

At the end of the day, none of these tracks "blow me away" or anything in that sense, but I find myself looking inward a lot of the time, and feeling some warm emotions. Even if I can't understand Sawao clearly, I can read the lyrics, get that fraction of understanding, listen, and exploit that understanding however I see fit. The music is composed well enough to the point that I can forgive the Engrish on most of the tracks (except Absurd Song and some lines in Devil's Pub). In songs where the tempo/vocal delivery pick up, the quality of the vocal performance goes down considerably.

[quote="Tidusauron12"]Beautiful Lip still doesn't sit well with me. [/quote]

The only thing that annoys me about that song is all the instruments that kicks in after the chorus. I don't know it just sounds muddled up after that riff.

[quote="Tidusauron12"]
Treating Doll as an empty transition (I'll give it that, Octave), it really comes together for me in the middle and towards the end. [/quote]

I feel the same way that you do about Doll. About it being similar to Silent Ballerina and Nite Sugar Waltz.
I actually did enjoy it though but I agree that it almost seems pointless, it being such a simple instrumental. I guess that's why he made it short.

Tidus, I'm guessing your problem with Beautiful Lip might be the same as mine: every single part Sawao wrote is made out of simple, repeating chunks, even the drum beats. It gets too repetitive even within single parts of the song for me.

[quote="Octave_Flow"]Rip AND Scans?!
Thank you so much chubby!
[/quote]

Yes and yes and whole PVs. They're nothing special haha.

[quote="ChubbyRaccoon"][quote="Octave_Flow"]Rip AND Scans?!
Thank you so much chubby!
[/quote]

Yes and yes and whole PVs. They're nothing special haha.[/quote]

PVs don't wanna uncopyright themselves.

[quote="GoldenRhino"]Can we talk about genre here? What musical influences do you guys think Sawao was working with on this album? It's hard to even call it "pop rock" when more of the songs are sort of...cartoony Western pop pastiches. I dont' know what to call it.[/quote]

The musical equivalent of Engrish. Recognizable, but slightly off-kilter. American sounds filtered through the mind of a Japanese songwriter.

[quote="ChubbyRaccoon"]PVs don't wanna uncopyright themselves.[/quote]

I got them just in time.
THANK YOU

[quote="Jomei"][quote="GoldenRhino"]Can we talk about genre here? What musical influences do you guys think Sawao was working with on this album? It's hard to even call it "pop rock" when more of the songs are sort of...cartoony Western pop pastiches. I dont' know what to call it.[/quote]

The musical equivalent of Engrish. Recognizable, but slightly off-kilter. American sounds filtered through the mind of a Japanese songwriter.[/quote]

Yes. Exactly.

So... American sounds=Sawao? That is weird for my mind to process.

[quote="ChubbyRaccoon"]So... American sounds=Sawao? That is weird for my mind to process.[/quote]

No. He's saying the music is the musical equivalent of Sawao's Engrish lyrics.

Jomei, that's actually the best description I've heard.

I agree, now that I understand it haha

I'm gonna have to suck Old Sundial's dick one more time. It's not even that it's a profound song or anything like that... but this song... is fucking awesome as hell. As far as "fun" songs goes, I was so glad this was on the album. Dude, that bass is fucking awesome as hell, and then they layer it with a guitar an octave up after the first solo... and that shit just starts walking all over the place! Together with those sweet and kinda funky western harmonies, it all blends together very well. That lead guitar line during the chorus is so funky! I love the shit out of that, and the chorus itself is so catchy! I seriously have so much praise for this. Then you have the awesome drum roll into the solo, which is perfectly simple and sounds great with Kashima's half-step bass playing and the acoustic accompaniment!

Ok. I just had to get that out. I've been eating Tedious Man up the past week or so. I like almost every song on it, but I had to come here and praise this awesome song.