I really want to see Zhelanie live. Love that song.

I finally listened to the album... at "Envy," I just thought, ok cool cool, good fun Engrish...but right when the "Ousama ni nare" bridge played, I just stared out the window, closed my eyes, and soaked it in. Every track after that was just so freaking ENJOYABLE! I'm so happy. I haven't had this big of a pillows high in a while.

-"Ousama," "newborn baby," and "pulse" were just really lovely and mellow. They're the kind of songs that that could really take me away while just staring out at the sky...thinking about life...in traffic...
-"Perfect Idea," "Cooooming soooon," and "Be Wild" were so, so upbeat and fun!! Must add to my running playlist. Agh and I dunno what it is but I LOOOVED Manabe's solo in "Coooming sooon."
-"Zhelanie" really blew me away...that was like "Energia" magic right there. Possibly my favorite track from the album, but this is just going off first listen.
-"Envy" and "Where do I go" didn't particularly move me, but I think they just need a few more listens.

When I first got into the pillows, I remember being shocked by the first albums I listened to (PML to TY,MT) because I just loved everything. They had this energy and magic that just made me feel so good song after song after song. "NOOK" made me feel that way again. With every song I was in awe and just felt so...I guess, recharged...? And kinda...really happy..?

Man I haven't felt this good for such a majority of a pillows album in a while. Usually, I could just pick a few fave tracks to come back to...but this!!! I can't believe how much I loved the entire album. And on the first listen, at that! Will be replaying the hell out of this

NOOK is best nuplows, they even did a real album artwork for it and everything.

(And very yes to the solo - and really Manabe's parts in general - on Coooming Sooon. )

Hitting up Dat Nook finale with Mafu tonight. Zepp Tokyo. Should be a good time.

Here is my take on Nook:

First of all, I like the album art. Now for the songs [i]an sich[/i]. 3/10 songs I like pretty much: Hang a vulture! Be Your King (Ousama ni Nare) and Zhelanie. Let's focus on these three songs.

- [b]'Hang a vulture!'[/b] was the first song of the bunch that caught my attention. It was upbeat, catchy, fuzzy... traces of Sleepy Head and No Substance. I like the bird/flying creatures theme of the song... now we have 'the dog song' that is Terminal Heaven's Rock and 'the bird song' that is Hang a vulture . Anyway, this song comes straight to the point, and I like that... topped off with a nice, spicy solo and it's a great appetizer. 7/10. Next!:

- [b]Be Your King[/b]. The lead single of the bunch. I liked the description Sawao gave in the livedoor interview:
"[i]So for the things that can't be fixed with your own effort, I thought that some escapism is fine. And in times like that, maybe there's some corner in that brain that controls you, areas you've never once opened up before, and in the midst of them, some ideas that can make yourself happy...[/i]" Some corner in the brain.. areas you've never once opened up before.. and then in the actual lyrics "An adventure through your thought patterns, a changing of the angle of your information
That's where it starts" Isn't that sweet man?! Pure poetry.
Yeah as for the sound, this song has a bit classic-y pillows sound to it (that pre-chorus really reminds me of another pillows song, but I can't figure it out). The yeaaaahs at the end are also win. The song is good, but not yet great...(7/10), which brings me to the last song of the three:

- [b]Zhelanie[/b]! Zhelanie is pretty sweet man. The harmony off all the instruments... and individually too... the bass is pretty cool here (is that Yoshinori Arie?), Sawao's vocals are good, not harsh or strained or nasal... that starting riff is so catchy that it spontaneously popped up in my head while I was doing my running exercise, Manabe's tone and ornamental playing is good. The whole song just flows so well. For now, I think this is a really good song (8/10). It's like a cross breed of Movement + Enurgia.

Those are three of my tops on the album, for sure. Hang a Vulture is badass, Be Your King is badass, and Zhelanie is gorgeous.

And yeah man when I read the lines about changing your angle when I was translating I was giggling a bit inside.
I know Sawao at least tried smoking the weeds back in the day, or it certainly seems like it...

[quote="Marekenshin"]I know Sawao at least tried smoking the weeds back in the day, or it certainly seems like it...[/quote]Tell me more. Fate to be weed head? lol. Well, at least Manabe seems down for it.
Lol, reminds me of the Penalty Life album cover, Manabe IS smoking something there, Sato has a beer... while Sawao is looking at dirty pictures

Back on topic, I think the pre-chorus of Be Your King reminds me of the pre-chorus of Fun Fun Fun OK!... I think that's the song I was thinking of.

[quote="Ashinow"]
- [b]Be Your King[/b]....

Yeah as for the sound, this song has a bit classic-y pillows sound to it (that pre-chorus really reminds me of another pillows song, but I can't figure it out). The yeaaaahs at the end are also win. The song is good, but not yet great...(7/10), which brings me to the last song of the three:

[/quote]

I believe you're thinking of Fun Fun Fun OK! So yes, I thought the exact same thing you did when listening.

And yea, Zhelanie is friggin amazing.

Finally got around to really giving this album a listen and I'm in love. It's SOOOOO GOOD! Can't believe I waited to long to listen to it.

Coooing sooon just lights me up when it comes on

WHOA, WHAT THE F*CK HAPPENED HERE?!

Premise: I hadn't listened to new material from the band since Moondust, so lately I was in a Pillows mood and decided to catch up. I was pleasantly surprised by some b-sides I had missed before, like Goodbye Present, Quarter Bakugyaku no Tomo, Amnesia no Nikki and Snoozer. In my opinion, much better than some of the stuff they end up putting on their albums. Snoozer is just bliss, and it has become a favorite of mine.

But then I got around to listen to Nook in the Brain, and I was completely blown away. This is such a good record I can't describe it. It completely wipes the floor with anything they've released in the past ten years. Probably their best effort since My Foot or even Good Dreams.

And some of it has to do with the fact that it's DIFFERENT. Take any album from Wake Up to Moondust (haven't listened to Stroll and Roll yet so can't comment), they all follow the same formula, same guitar effects, same production. After a while it gets tedious and repetitive, and the reason why I lost interest.

But this album changes everything. The songwriting style. The guitar distortions. It's got this grunge/punk vibe to it and it's so refreshing and good. Never thought the band had it in them to make an album like this. In some ways it reminds me of Smile.

Needless to say, I've been listening to it non-stop for the past few days and I'm enjoying it a lot. Now I'm curious to see where Rebroadcast lands.

Note: Hang a Vulture! is one of the best songs The Pillows have released. EVER.