:+: No Music No Life :+:

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

CD Review :: Kanjani∞ - Kansha ni Eight EP

CD Only Regular Edition Cover :

CD Only Limited Edition Cover :

Tracklist :

1) DREAMIN' BLOOD
2) Naniwa Iroha Bushi
3) All of me for you
4) Tabibito (Travelers)
5) 10 Nengo no Kyou no Hi mo (Today , Even After)
6) Fuyu no Riviera (Winter Of The Bank)
7) Eden (Regular Edition Track)
7) Naniwa Iroha Bushi (Winter Rock Mix) (Limited Edition Track)
8) Naniwa Iroha Bushi (Trance Mix) (Bonus Track)

Kansha ni Eight EP is Kanjani∞'s 1st mini album & it was released 5 years ago on Dec 15th . This's the lst & last studio offering featuring vocals of their former 8th member Uchi Hiroki .

Just 1 single is included in Kansha ni Eight EP & depending on which edition you get , you get a different track pertaining to track 7 in the album so your eyes are not deceiving you in this context with regards to the tracklist .

DREAMIN' BLOOD is the 1st track to kick things off in this mini album & I think it's such a great way to start things musically simply because I find DREAMIN' BLOOD to be a very catchy , uplifting soaring piece of tune .

Naniwa Iroha Bushi is the group's debut single & it more or less established Kanjani∞'s trademark sound in that it incorporates a very strong Enka feeling pertaining to the melody & this's 1 of my fave singles of the guys .

Subsequent Enka inspired tunes were found in their future singles like Osaka Rainy Blues , Oh ENKA ! (2nd A-side in their 3rd single/1st triple A-side release Sukiyanen , Osaka. / Oh ! ENKA / Mugendai) .

All of me for you is a great piece of angsty pop driven no. . Its mood is quite vaguely different as compared to DREAMIN' BLOOD although it's a bit similar to Naniwa Iroha Bushi mood wise but still I like this song .

It's great to see Kanjani∞ or should I say hear that the group can deliver angsty tunes just as well as cheery upbeat good pop songs .

Tabibito (Travelers) is track #4 & I guess you can slot Tabibito in the same music genre as DREAMIN' BLOOD since both of them are equally catchy upbeat tunes . Except in this case , I find Tabibito to be a bit un-memorable for my liking as it took me quite a while to remember how it sounds like but after a few listens or so , I can safely say that I enjoy Tabibito just as much as DREAMIN' BLOOD .

10 Nengo no Kyou no Hi mo (Today , Even After) is a very nice Christmas inspired tune & I find it really cute on all levels . I suppose they did such a song because at that time when Kansha ni Eight was released , it was out 10 days before Christmas hence that's probably the only explaination I can give as to why you find such a no. in here .

Regardless of which , 10 Nengo no Kyou no Hi mo is a cool song to listen to , be it whether you're in a festival mood or not .

Fuyu no Riviera (Winter Of The Bank) is a nice somewhat mid-tempo poppy inspired tune even though just like Tabibito , I had trouble remembering just how it sounds like & I can safely say that both songs are somewhat the weak links in Kansha ni Eight on 1st listen .

Having said that , both songs in due time start to gain prominence in my mind as the more I listen to Fuyu no Riviera & Tabibito , I was able to pick up bits & pieces as to how each song sound like to prevent myself from blanking out in case I see a song title on their mini album & then in return I couldn't recall how they sound like .

Only found in the regular edition of Kansha ni Eight EP , it's Eden & it's the only ballad in this mini album . I guess you can say that this's no doubt my fave album track simply because it's such an awesome powerful ballad that the guys delivered .

I really like Eden on 1st listen & in the midst of Eden when the song gained momentum , it's really magical & the bridge of Eden just pushed things up an notch or 2 higher than before .

Eden's definitely 1 of the star tracks on Kansha ni Eight EP for sure .

The Winter Rock Mix of Naniwa Iroha Bushi is only found in the limited edition of the mini album . Nothing much to comment about the Winter Rock Mix of the guys's debut single except instead of the original Enka melody that was used , you get a well Rock & winter inspired tune in this context .

It's quite unusual mixing Rock & a winter inspired tune with regards to this remix but somehow or another , it works in favor for the group .

Found as a bonus track in both editions of Kansha ni Eight EP , it's the Trance Mix of Naniwa Iroha Bushi . I'm not really a remix person to begin with & surprisingly with a remix titled as Naniwa Iroha Bushi (Trance Mix) , it doesn't really emphasised that much on the Trance factor .

It still has traces of the original melody for Naniwa Iroha Bushi & you mixed it up with Trance music & some of the guys's vocals tend to sound quite far back if you listen to the Trance Mix of their debut single .

I usually can't tolerate Trance music but this Trance Mix of Naniwa Iroha Bushi's pretty OK & then it faded out at the end of the background .

Between the Winter Rock Mix & Trance Mix of Naniwa Iroha Bushi , I prefer the Winter Rock Mix as it presented something different that Kanjani∞ brought to the music plate .

Wow , I can say that I was very surprised when I 1st gave Kanjani∞'s mini album Kansha ni Eight EP a listen & here I was , being so very reductant to try out their music for the longest time .

Before I decided to give their album material a shot , I assumed that it will be the same crazy whack stuff that they chunned out with regards to some of the singles that they have dished out like Wahaha , Musekinin Hero & Osaka Obachan (Auntie) ROCK but they have proven me very wrong , music wise .

I'm impressed with the various styles of music genres that were found with regards to Kansha ni Eight EP & considering that it's a mini album & there's only 1 single in the tracklist , musically it's really strong & it showcased how versatile the guys are , be it when comes to Pop/Rock , Enka .

Expect album reviews on their 1st 2 albums KJ1 F·T·O & KJ2 Zukkoke Daidassou to be up & running in due time .

Until then , do yourself a favor & give Kansha ni Eight EP a listen .