RADWIMPS(ラッドウインプス) - Human Bloom(人間開花) Album Thoughts(J-Rock)

Tracklist

1. Lights go out
2. 光
3. AADAAKOODAA
4. トアルハルノヒ
5. 前前前世 [original ver.]
6. ‘I’ Novel
7. アメノヒニキク
8. 週刊少年ジャンプ
9. 棒人間
10. 記号として
11. ヒトボシ
12. スパークル [original ver.]
13. Bring me the morning
14. O & O
15. 告白

  I'm in this funk recently where I have to listen to a lot of new Japanese rock music for no reason. I feel like I want more and more and more songs to listen to in my spare time. This healthy or could be unhealthy condition called me to finally see what Japanese rock band Radwimps's music was all about. I've hear their name pop up constantly over the years but bands like One Ok Rock took my attention during my middle school and high school years. My timing for really getting into this band came at the moment that they have reached the peak in their careers. They accomplished this by using one of the most smartest promotional strategies ever.

   Human Bloom is Radwimps second album technically this year. It is also their second album to hit number one on the Oricon charts. Their first number one album was a tie in to a soundtrack for Japanese biggest Anime film of all time currently, Your Name. What the band's record label did was basically released the film's soundtrack with the band's name stamped on it because they did a few insert songs. Most of the tracks on the album are just instrumental tracks used in the film. I'm going to keep this a hundred percent truthful with everyone. I do not count this as an album for Radwimps. I see this more as a ploy to get Radwimps more attention using a film that people knew had a chance of being huge in Japan and it was. The whole thing was kind of cheap because Radwimps didn't get that number one spot because of their talents showcased in a brand new album. They got number spot because they rode off the popularity of a film. Soundtracks are not for me and I rather have a whole album with vocals.  Don't get me wrong, they did well to get more people to listen their music but we all know this whole thing was to boost their popularity even more. Then their real new album with fifteen new tracks comes out soon after. Better release their true album while people are still buzzing about Your Name. The singles including the original versions of the songs used in Your Name had me very tuned into this album.  Things start out like Radwimps know that they are going to have listeners listening to this album who have never picked up a one of their albums before but did so because of Your Name. A good chunk of the songs are pop electronica rock but they take each track in stride. Its like they start at the bottom of the staircase and quickly more their way on up. With each track they gain more and more power lyrically, and style wise. I felt like their lyrics are like diary entrees telling a story and weaving to together a personal space for the listener to full understand the guys in Radwimp's artistry. Human Bloom had me going from one kind of music to the other with rock being the core sound. Rock comes out more strongly on a select few tracks and its like your listening them live and want to start jumping. When this band wants to hit their gutters and drums hard, THEY HIT HARD and I'm here for it. "AADAAKOODAA" was the track that made me fall out of my chair. Radwimps came out with a hard beat and rap skills. I was like "WHO IS THIS BAND AGAIN????" Now, its one of if not favorite track on the album. The best quality this band has is that they are open to crossing the line that is rock n roll and bringing back pieces of different types of music across that line. There are a variety of different styles of music that compose their sound and you never know what you will get. I think the best to word to describe them would be experimental.

  Their vocalist is a middle tenor. At first I was going to say he was another high pitched vocal frontman but i'm listening to Radwimps as I type this. He has a high part to his voice but its not hurt fully to listen to like some other bands. He can rap pretty well for a rock singer. I was surprised at his flow when I first heard him.

  My cons this time around would be that older fans might feel that this album is too mainstream compare to their other albums. You can see Your Name written all over this album. Accept for a hand full of tracks, most of the album could have been use in the film. I'm saying that as a person who hasn't even seen the film yet.

 Human Bloom was the first album I listened to by Radwimps in full. I'm very happy for their new found success and I hope they continue to be that band that can bend their music without destroying the essence of who they are. 2016 must be the year for rock musicians in Japan.