BLACK LINE vocalist Mikaru’s solo project G.L.A.M.S celebrated the release of its latest mini-album A Queen of the Night in the summer of 2017. The band toured Europe around the same time to mark its release, bringing a shade of dark glamour and a few odd dashes of romantic melancholy to the continent.
Forgive Me opens the mini-album, and it immediately grabs the listener’s attention with the first crashes of the drum's cymbals and the strong rhythm of the guitars. Mikaru’s vocals are well-suited to the heavy melody of this track and he effectively switches between moodiness and this softer quality as the music also takes a change during the bridge of the track, becoming a little more mellow before enveloping listeners back in a heavy, powerful, rock sound for the final minute.
Our Freak Show follows, and it is a stand-out track. It has an infectious beat, memorable lyrics (including a number of F-bombs) and a repetitive chorus that one simply can’t help joining in with.
Rainy Highway, on the other hand, takes the mini-album on a dramatic turn, altering the style completely with an almost pop ballad style compared to the two opening tracks. It's quite a stark change in sound, and some may even question why it takes the central place in the release and not perhaps the second track as Be Alone returns us to the darker and heavier side of G.L.A.M.S.
This track includes the odd swear word once again, however, as the first chorus kicks in the dark, fairytale-esque sound that hits the listener’s eardrums in the beginning soon dissipates and the song transforms into a more appealingly magical piece. It has a splendid guitar solo, with melancholic vocals and lyrics, and the final words "fly away" ring out rather fittingly before the final track Let's Fly Away to the Stars opens with its piano introduction.
Let's Fly Away to the Stars, similarly to Rainy Highway, feels like it just doesn't belong on this particular mini-album. With a smooth and charming vocal croon, the final track is a romantic piece that would suit a sentimental, heartstring-pulling old-time Hollywood movie brilliantly, and it is probably not a track suited to every fan’s taste.
A Queen of the Night is a decent mini-album, albeit with a couple of tracks that sound a little out of place. However, G.L.A.M.S have delivered a respectable release that is well worth the listen and that most certainly will be welcomed warmly by the band’s fans. The mini-album can be purchased from HIGHFeeL's official webshop.
The MV for Forgive Me and a documentary video featuring footage from G.L.A.M.S' European tour set to Rainy Highway and Our Freak Show can be viewed below:
