MIYAVI - The Others

[Shmilly 519]

Not a proper review per se, just my thoughts as I'm listening for the first time. I always look forward to Miyavi's releases because he has such a diverse history. The man's a talented guitarist and musician, and his vocals have been steadily improving. Now I've finally gotten around to listening to this album, I thought I'd take some notes.

 

 

Cruel - Even for an artist with as varied a career as Miyavi, this is yet another step in a different direction. I'm getting a British Alternative scene vibe from this one, maybe some influence from Muse and Arctic Monkeys. It sets a tone and makes an intriguing opening track.

 

Into The Red - Back into the catchy if slightly repetitive chorus+riff style of pop-rock Miyavi has taken to recently. Synths make the chorus pop a little more than if it was just guitar like we're used to. Overall not particularly memorable though.

 

Come Alive - This immediately came across to me as a more lively follow up to 'Secret' from his last self-titled album. Driven again by that guitar motif. Female backing vocals and some corny trumpets shake it up a little, and the slower section breaks up what might otherwise be another quite repetitive song.

 

Mysterious Alien Girl - Funky track with another distorted guitar motif underlying the whole song. Miyavi returns to his favourite pastime of sticking the riff on a looper and playing around over the top of it. Sadly(?) the solo is the best part of this one.

 

Let Go - I always liked this one from the single release. It's a song that monopolizes on the catchy guitar riff and chorus to get your feet tapping. Some might criticise it for being so short, but I think that really helps this one from sticking around too long (ahem, most of Sadie's GANGSTA).

 

Odyssey - Panning the guitar in the intro immediately makes this one stand out from the rest so far. Then we hear some Japanese for the first time. The weird woah sample is odd at the beginning, but as it repeats through the song it earns its place. This is kind of a simple upbeat track but I enjoyed it.

 

All The Way - This song felt to me like an amalgamation of all of Miyavi's recent efforts. There's the guitar motif, the electronic elements, the repetitive chorus, the softer bridge, and the sweet solo. Pretty groovy. Also the ending is nice.

 

Unite - Immediately reminded me of the SAMURAI SESSIONS collab era. It's actually quite nice to let Miyavi's vocals take a back seat so he can get on with that slick guitar work he's so good at.

 

The Others - I'm surprised to find the title song of this album so late in the tracklist. There's not a lot for me to say other than, to me, this is one of the most catchy songs I've heard this year. I love it. Another fun solo too.

 

Calling - Some solid vocals here (especially by Miyavi's standards). Guitar is also great. In fact, this is in essence what Miyavi has been doing for years, just with a layer of English lyrics and synths mixed in. I enjoyed it.

 

Shangri-La - More Japanese! XD A little bit too repetitive for my liking but it's certainly an interesting way to close the album. At least the groove is catchy and there's some fun guitar work again, so I think this one will continue to grow on me with more listens.

 

 

Overall an interesting new turn since his last full album. It feels like Miyavi is modernising and westernising, but in a way that for the most part retains his personality, energy and style. Unlike ONE OK ROCK's recent release, I'm happy that Miyavi hasn't just completely changed his style to appeal to an English speaking audience. True, he's been using English for a while, but he's always in control of the music he makes, and that's something to be respected in such a lengthy and varied career.

[NICKT 147]

I'm not the most adept at being knowledgeable when it comes to the makings of music, I can't tell a riff riff from a woof woof and all the doofs sound doofy to me, so just as someone who listens to music because it makes my dick tingle, I'm saying that this is probably the only Miyavi album/single that I would not be ashamed if I had purchased it.

[Jigsaw9 6783]

Oh wow. I'm only through my first listen just now, and don't really know how to put this... well, let's just say I won't be re-listening to this album any time soon. You know that sinking feeling when you're listening to an artist that you otherwise love but you feel what you're listening to is so so wrong and you can't believe your ears? That becomes a lasting sensation in only five minutes after pushing play.

 

It's like if MIYAVI somehow got game-over'd after the last album and now he has to start over everything, most of all learning how to write songs that don't make a decent fan of music cringe. It's quite an 'achievement' when "LET GO" and "THE OTHERS" stick with me as the more tolerable tracks, since I didn't particularly like those to begin with back when they were released. Of the new tracks, I don't mind "ALIEN GIRL"... I swear there was another song that was kinda decent but it all flew in one of my ears and out the other, everything on here sounds so bland, forgettable or just downright irritating (songs like "INTO THE RED" or "ODYSSEY" make me want to smash something, seriously).

 

So disappointed. I remember digging MIYAVI's previous full-length, which was basically in a similar style with similar production, so I don't quite know what changed (other than the feelings described above), but it just doesn't work for me here, at all. It's all ridiculously try-hard, poseur, wannabe-sounding stuff that tries to blend 'edgy' (in reality: recycled ad nauseam) distorted riffs with crystal-clear shrinkwrapped hooks and synth diarrhea to somehow make a middle-ground product that wants to appeal to carefree pop lovers and indie-rocksters but kinda falls over itself.

 

the musical equivalent of being force-fed baby food |