Wandering J-Pop Singers: no3b’s Kiss no Ryuusei Single (Review)

It was a little over a month ago that I was turned on to no3b with their Tane single. It’s definitely worth picking up for “Girl’s Talk” alone you haven’t already checked it out. In our review of Tane I mentioned that the female trio had a new single coming out in November, and I was eager to hear some more incredibly catchy upbeat J-pop.

Well, no3b (who also go by the name “No Sleeves,” and are apparently an off-shoot of AKB48) is a new group, so perhaps I was naive to think I’d be getting more of the same with their new Kiss no Ryuusei single. That’s not to say it’s not good, but the title track definitely sports a more mature sound compared to “Tane” and “Girl’s Talk.” Would you be more interested if I told you it reminded me of Castlevania?

Hit the jump to find out what I mean in our review of no3b’s latest.

The first thing you’re greeted by when “Kiss no Ryuusei” starts up is some killer Latin-style acoustic guitar that is quickly joined by a persistent drum beat, epic strings, and of course, the beautiful vocal harmonies of no3b. Yes, I’m getting at “Wandering Ghosts” from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, one of my favorite tracks from the game. It’s certainly the easiest parallel that I was able to draw. Even better, the hottest girl in the group takes the lead on this one, as you’ll note in the video above. It’s a powerful track that, while more serious than no3b’s past efforts, is still a lot of fun and a great listen. Who doesn’t love Latin guitar?

The B-side is “Bus Stop,” which is more in line with the icky-sticky-sweet image the trio has promoted in the past. The cheery vocals and smooth electric guitar work in the background creates an almost 1950s vibe that had me thinking about classic 50s diners. It’s extremely light and playful, and there’s even a rockin’ guitar solo about midway through that was entirely unexpected.

Aside from the two “instrumental versions” tacked on to the end of the disc, that’s pretty much all there is this time around. The booklet inside has several pages of photos of the group members, and their black outfits match the more serious tone of this single. But it’s not too serious, so don’t worry. The single is currently available from Play-Asia, so check it out if you’re interested.

Have you looked into no3b since we first talked about them in November? What do you think of my comparison to “Wandering Ghosts” from Symphony of the Night?