BACK-ON(バックオン) - NEW ERA Mini Album Thoughts(J-rock)

Tracklist:

1. Clown
2. Carry on
3. Laugh now
4. Misty rain
5. Knock knock

    I've been listening to BACK-ON since I was in middle school. It's literally been almost over a decade if you consider my history with them. This band has never really made it to the height that I felt that they deserved but they've had a top ten album on the Oricon Chart which I celebrated when I saw the achievement. BACK-ON is mostly known for providing songs for anime and being apart of 2008's group project called BAReeeeeeeeeeeeeN. Their frontman is married to popular singer, Kumi Koda. New Era is their first EP in a long while which was released digitally. The release actually feels kinda unexpected.

   New Era signals a big sign that BACK-ON is ready to try something new. If you go back to listen to the band's older music, you will find that they have always added pop music into their group of hard rock numbers. They decide to go back to this pop style once again. Only this time they go all in head first. While they leave some of their hard rock elements such as the loud guitars behind, Tracks still sound very full and in charge.  Carry On comes into your headphones as an electro pop number with enough keyboards to make you wonder if BACK-ON had this kind of ability in them all along.  You might say to yourself that the absence of the hard rockers we are used to is alright until Laugh now starts to play, revealing that the hard rockers we know haven't left. Instead they are just evolving. Misty Rain becomes the album's slow number that hits in-between being created from the band's new style while containing traits from their old style as well. The track is equally poppy and rocker friendly. My favorite quality about BACK-ON's music is that I have always liked was the rap parts. There's not a lot of Japanese rock bands out there in Japan that have legit rapper. What I mean by legit is that he has bars by himself without BACK-ON backing him up. He is the extra spice to any BACK-ON song plus, he is on fire in this new EP! New Era is truly a new chapter for this band's artistry. I'm happy that them experimenting didn't mess up the sound they have crafted over the years.

   The vocals sound more polished and slick than before. When BACK-ON first started their career, the lead singer didn't sing with much skill. Now he sings like he's been focusing more on singing better. Maybe he took vocal lessons.

   I belive BACK-ON fans will easily add New Era to their collection. The EP is a quick listen for those who enjoy Jrock. I like some tracks more than others.