Chihiro Onitsuka(鬼束ちひろ) - Syndrome(シンドローム) Album Thoughts(J-Rock/Acoustic)

Tracklist:

1.good bye my love
2.Ao no Hakobune (碧の方舟; Blue Ark)
3.Gensou Kyoku (弦葬曲; Fantasia)
4.Sweet Hi-Five
5.ULTIMATE FICTION
6.Kanashimi no Kikyuu (悲しみの気球; Balloon of Sadness)
7.Chandelier (シャンデリア)
8.Hi no Tori (火の鳥; Phoenix)
9.good bye my love (acoustic version)

   Chihiro Onitsuka was one of the most best selling female Japanese artists in the early 2000s but then  she took  a long break from music in 2007. She had a lot of problems with her record label and relationship issues where her ex boyfriend came to her home and assaulted her a few years back. Good Bye My Love was her first single since her return to music after her second long break, then out of nowhere came the full length album, Syndrome.

  I haven't heard a full album from her in what seems like forever. She might have been active behind the scenes(giving a concert here and there.) but she takes a lot of breaks from the music scene. I've like almost every release she has come out with since finding one of her music videos online when I was just getting into Japanese music. Well known for her deep emotional lyrics and charismatic acoustic performances, Onitsuka created most likely created syndrome with her old style in mind. The tracks defiantly make her music feel like she never left. Good Bye My Love is one of the best ballad songs I've heard from a J female artists this year hands down. I don't like many songs from the first listen but the arrangement of violin, guitar, and drums, flowed well into my ears. Onitsuka also hits the chorus perfectly for vocals. After such a powerful lead single, things get striped down so that they can remain simple. There's no big production tricks to be had with the next few tracks. She only sings and plays the piano as the bear minimum.  Onitsuka shines the brightest during these times. Its a big opportunity to hear her voice ring true. Sweet Hi-Five was my second favorite ballad style type of song. She sings this song with a lot of emotion and poise. Ultimate Fiction takes the album and speeds the flow of the album up a little bit. Its a rock acoustic song that is a shadow of her older songs such as X. This song was great for her voice too and I just like how it sound over all. They best thing about Syndrome and Onitsuka's artistry in general is her ability to make slow songs have a form of life. Ballads are not liked by everyone which is understandable. Especially if they are boring and don't progress to the singer giving a good vocal performance. Syndrome is simple library of tracks that remind listeners that her ballads are interesting without trying hard to be. I normally can't stand a whole album full of ballads but Chihiro Onitsuka is one of the exceptions.

 I don't know the right words to explain of she sounds but she doesn't sound like anyone else. One quality I notice that she likes to do for this album is sing in high range constantly. Or she might naturally have a high voice. Theres a low tonal range there too that sounds great for her but I love that fact that her high range has a fuller controlled sound than what I'm use to hearing from her. Maybe she was taking vocally lessons while she was away..... She could do her own sharping of her vocals since she plays piano though. People who play piano and sing together can tune their own voices most of the time.

  My only complaint about the album is that the song called 夏の罪(Summer Sins) that was used in the Japanese Drama Age Harassment wasn't anywhere to be found on Syndrome. It made an appearance on the Good Bye My Love single as a B side but thats it. I'm in love with this song too and I'm not happy about its exclusion from the album.