A Little Bit Of Ducktales Mixed With Some J-Pop: no3b’s Tane Single (Review)

Alright, it’s not really Ducktales, but the B-side on no3b’s latest Tane single sure reminds me of the moon stage (my favorite stage in the game) with its chippy sounds and 80s synth pop sounds. But the star of this single is meant to be “タネ” (“Tane”), which is also quite good.

But wait, don’t know who no3b is? That’s probably because they just got their start at the end of 2008 with their debut single, “Relax!” Tane is their second single to date, and the track is featured on the new Birdy the Mighty anime. I have no idea what that is, but Chris Ling seemed to know something about it!  Oh, and they pretty hot… especially the one on the right!

Read our review of Tane single and the “Girl’s Talk” B-side after the jump.

So, no3b pretty much operates on the same level as other Japanese female J-pop groups. Three girls, each with their own unique look and singing style, singing some incredibly upbeat and catchy tunes. As I mentioned, however, I really enjoying the music here along with their voices. They have a distinctly gamey sound with lots of synth work and quirky melodies.

Let’s start with “Tane.” This is the ending theme for Birdy the Mighty, and the sweeping strings and angelic belltones effectively convey an image of the sky. There’s also a nice funky bassline added to the mix, giving the track a modern sound. Each vocalist takes turn with a small phrase before they combine to create some great harmonies.

I guess this is a good time to mention the first press edition that includes a bonus DVD featuring the “Tane” music video, a making-of feature, and an alternate video that ditches the “scenes” of the official video in favor of a traditional one-take performance of the trio. I honestly hate the official music video, as it’s way too cutesy and cheesy for my tastes, but the alternate version really hit the spot; I love the interactions between the singers. It’s certainly a nice bonus if you can find the first press edition.

It’s then on to the B-side, “Girls’ Talk,” which I’m calling the Ducktales moon stage meets J-pop experiment. I absolutely adore this track. I guess it’s just like me to prefer the B-side to the actual single, but what can I say! It’s chippy, it’s rock-y, and it’s simply awesome. The chorus is ridiculously catchy, and has been stuck in my head for weeks. Also, I think it’s great that they sing the phrase, “Girls’ talk” in English, as you can imagine “girls'” is a difficult word in Japanese. Comes off more like “Gu-uh-ru’s” talk! It’s cute. I even love the “instrumental” version here as well, although the vocals are great.

I’m greatly looking forward to what’s next for no3b. They’ve won me over with this single. They have a new single coming out in November 2009, so you have a lot of catching up to do! If you’re interested, Play-Asia is still stocking the first press edition with the bonus DVD, so check it out after listening to some samples on YouTube or wherever! Just beware of the “Tane” music video.

Do you know anything about no3b or Birdy the Mighty? Does no3b’s blend of chip music with J-pop seem like something you’d be interested in hearing more of in the future?