Japanese, Reviews

Songs from the Grave: Ghostnote’s Amanogawa Single (Review)

May 23, 2010 | | 1 Comment Share thison Facebook Songs from the Grave: Ghostnote’s Amanogawa Single (Review)on Twitter

Apparently, ghost notes are musical notes occurring in a rhythmic figure which are purposely deemphasized, often to the point of near silence. At least, that’s what Wikipedia tells me. Unfortunately, I know nothing about the J-pop group known as ghostnote and even though these ghost notes may be present in their music, I wasn’t able to pick them up.

This single, released in July 2009 showcases two very contrasting songs by this group. Check out more after the break.

The title track of the single, “Amanogawa,” is a pop-rock ballad full of instrumentation typically associated with this genre, such as acoustic guitar, strings, piano, electric guitar, etc. The music is extremely catchy and maintains a beautiful quality about it. I’m particularly enamored by the piano accompaniment throughout the song. It just adds to the overall atmosphere and seems to cut through the other instruments, almost as if it was demanding to be heard. Although I’m not sure what is being sung, I am detected a hint of sadness in the vocals.

The B-side of the single, “Sakura michi -Acoustic Ver.-,” the original featuring on their debut album, Identity, is, as one might suspect, an acoustic guitar led piece that features a bit of a light jazz atmosphere. The melody is decent, but I’m not particularly drawn to it like I was drawn to the first song on the single. The instrumentation is a nice contrast to the pop rock ballad for the first song. The vocals, on the other hand, definitely denote a hint of playfulness, even if I do think the vocal performance isn’t as strong as the first song.

The packaging for the CD is pretty minimal. Enclosed within is a small booklet that gives off the usual credits as well as the lyrics for both themes. It also carries with it the starry night sky theme that the cover details. There is also a limited edition that comes with a DVD that includes the music video for “Amanogawa” and “Sakura michi.”

Overall, it’s a decent single with the A-side easily trumping the B-side. I know there is a PV on Youtube for Amanogawa so you might want to check that out and see if you like it before you purchase it.

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