Alexandros has become very huge in Japan over their past few album releases. Their music was always topping the indie Japanese music charts. Than all of a sudden they burst into the mainstream and went up the chart with each album. Now, they're a household name that has sold out shows all across Japan. Movies and games use their songs as theme songs which is perfect because their music could be the soundtrack of an underdog's life. Sleepless in Brooklyn is the band's newest album. The album's name comes from the fact that the band recorded most of this album in New York.
TRACKLIST
01 Last Minute
02 Arpeggioアルペジオ
03 Mosquito Bite
04 I Don’t Believe In You
05 Hanautaハナウタ (feat. 最果タヒ)
06 Party Is Over
07 Milk
08 Spit!
09 Kabuto
10 Fish Tacos Party
11 Your Song
12 Snow Sound
13 Ashita, Mata明日、また
When I first listened to Sleepless in Brooklyn, I felt a little snubbed out of the amount of new tracks that the album provides. The first half of the album is either singles that were released before or B sides to singles that were released on the singles. I don't hate the singles used to promote Sleepless in Brooklyn to say the least. I felt the Mosquito Bite and Kabuto are remanence of Alexandros's older music back when they were called Champagne. These tracks are sang mostly in English supported by edgy musical rifts that rock out heavy in a solid rhythm. It's a very indie sound that helped the band stand out in their starting career. Especially since the English lyrics are perfect without any weird mistakes or accent. Sleepless in Brooklyn does provide the space for the band to continue to be versatile in creating their music. None can really say that Alexandros switched up their music for mainstream consumption. From the early days, They have given listeners little hints in their indie albums that they saw new horizons for their artistry. It's just that they have a huge platform to experiment on now. Tracks like Milk brings back the rap/rock sound that was present in their last album. Milk sounds just as adventurous as the other new songs on the album as the track rocks similar to a hip hop track without the hip hop beat. Spit! is probably my favorite song on Sleepless in Brooklyn thanks to the song's lyrical dark humor. The track is an easy headbanger when hearing the ease of progression into a more jump started groove as the track enters the chorus. Kabuto leads in nicely as the Spit! comes to an end. I will say before I forget, that the previously released singles seem to have had reworkings in music production. Things are added that weren't there before and it's quite nice. Qualities that include different beats, louder amplifiers, and new violin sections. Sleepless in Brooklyn slides back and forth between a place of versatility. The tracks can be slow yet full of strength. Then poppy but with an aided rock structure that is Alexandros. It's an album that you have to listen to at least three times to fully see their musical vision. I didn't get it at first so I went back to listen to the album again. Sleepless in Brooklyn might be one of Alexandros's best albums if we were to base the standard on track list consistency as well as production value. Hard work was put into the creation of this album that shines in the music whenever it comes through your speakers.
Not much to say about the vocals. Everything is pretty much the same as the album before. The English and Japanese lyrics are feeling more balanced to me in songs than they did before. Ofcourse, there's songs done mostly in English but, There's also songs only in Japanese too.
I'm pretty sure this album did super well in Japan. I haven't even checked the chart yet. I have a feeling that I don't need to. Japanese people know a good album when they hear it most of the time.
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