Back Number(バックナンバー) - MAGIC Album Thoughts(J-pop/rock)

   Back Number released another album a few weeks ago. I tend to like Back Numer's tracks that are picked for dramas and films, so I decided to give their newest album called MAGIC a listen. I've listened to a full album from them before and I wasn't disappointed or impressed. The album kind of just was there outside of the songs that I came for. MAGIC was more of a different story.

01 最深部
02 サマーワンダーランド
03 瞬き
04 あかるいよるに
05 ARTIST
06 オールドファッション
07 ロンリネス
08 雨と僕の話
09 エキシビジョンデスマッチ
10 monaural fantasy
11 HAPPY BIRTHDAY
12 大不正解

    Magic has a good scale of what each listener might check out the new compilation for. WELL, The album felt a little skimpy on the colorful pop rock that Back Number rose to Japanese stardom performing, however, A tiny bit of a heavier rock sounds come with MAGIC. It surprised me quite a bit, especially when I had my finger ready to skip much of the album. I was expecting an album that had sugar sweet pop rock that might be good quality music to Japan while it's just regular music to foreigners…. Magic hits heavy in all the right spots. There's enough rock tracks to leave a listener's head in a whiplashed state. Tracks like the theme song to 2017's smash hit film, "8 Year Engagement" are magical love ballad moments of the album which fit as the opposite side of the coin to the theme song of the live action film adaption sequel of the manga series "Gentama." I can actually listen to Magic from front to back and love all the songs. It's a good album as a whole.


  The vocalist of Back Number has a strong emotional passion when he sings. As a listener, I can tell that he feels connected to the songs he writes. He also doesn't sound like anyone else. Let's hope he can sing better than Asian Kungfu Generation's vocalist live……

  Check out this album for the theme songs of other forms of entertainment media or because you're a fan, either way you won't be disappointed. Magic is one of my favorite albums by Back Number. They've been out for a long time and still mange to create quality music.