redballoon - Hashiridasu Kisetsu

Brothers Koji Muraya and Katsunori Muraya are back with their second major release, Hashiridasu Kisetsu. With Katsunori handling the bass and Koji covering both vocals and guitar, the soft rock duo brings us a single to set the mood for spring and sunnier days.

The title track is the first on this CD and opens with strumming guitar and Koji's voice. The track quickly establishes itself as a catchy and upbeat rock song with plenty of lightly played guitar, including one delightful, Latin-inspired acoustic moment. Koji's vocals are smooth and easy on the ears; there's none of the troubles hitting notes or the like that he had in redballoon's first release.

The second track is toki wa kaze no you ni and is a surprisingly sharp contrast to the first. There's a bit of an edge to it in the beginning; nothing too dark or dangerous but enough to make one sit up and take notice. Koji's singing starts initially in a lower pitch than heard previous and Katsunori, somewhat lost in the sea of guitar in the first track, returns with a vengeance to round out this song.

The final track is a remix of their first major release, setsu no tsubasa. setsu no tsubasa ~KASC MIX~ is definitely a far cry from its original state; much slower with a different sort of beat, it's an interesting take on the originally light rock song.

The final touch to this single is the somewhat surprising inclusion of a DVD with the video for setsu no tsubasa on it. Well-done and simply set, it gives those who hadn't yet heard the original setsu no tsubasa a taste of the previous single.

Overall, Hashiridasu Kisetsu is a step up for redballoon; while setsu no tsubasa was a decent single, parts of it were disjointed and seemed confused. Hashiridasu Kisetsu has a much stronger self of itself and Koji's vocals also seem to have improved some. Fans of heavy, aggressive rock will find little to enjoy here but those who prefer softer, more melodious tunes should soak this single right up.