Sugar - Blossom

Sugar's newest single is a meeting of pleasing rhythms and mellifluous vocals. It is a pairing of rock songs with a hint of jazz that only further enhances the listening experience.

Blossom opens with tapping drumbeats and a throbbing bass line. Though the atmosphere of the song is largely upbeat, Loki's rich vocals are not wasted. The contrast between music and vocals is complementary. Splendid guitar work, at times almost sweet sounding, is woven in perfectly with bass and drum driven rhythms. The track winds down with a bridge featuring an easy-going melody and laid-back vocals before picking up again, Loki's voice carried smoothly along on the original rhythm as the song plays to the end.

Solitary guitar riffs lead in to the more straight forward vocals of Biyaku. This track is a delightful melding of raw and refined sounds with a jazzy edge. A subtle bass line, jagged guitar strums, and a mix of growled and purred vocals come together fantastically in this oddly sensual rock song. Pounding drum beats push it along, SIZNA's guitar work highlighting the end.

A voiceless version of Blossom is also included on this release.

The perfect precursor to Sugar's upcoming album release, Blossom is anything but a disappointment. The songs on this release exhibit both the hard and soft sides of the band’s music and leave the listener anticipating even more. Subtly infused with jazzy beats, these songs are surprisingly refreshing and impressively atypical. Don’t pass Sugar off as a run-of-the-mill visual kei band because they have much more to offer, as is apparent with this release.