Jam along to BAZRA's eclectic style of rock.
It could have started like this: an underground club in the 50s, the atmosphere heavy with smoke, gentlemen dressed in fine clothes and a band playing in the background. The band could be BAZRA.
The husky voice of Teppei Inoue, the smooth bass of Kentarou Miura and The Mieda Takuya's drum play gives off this "rockabilly with a funky stroke" feeling, with electronic arrangements which take us back to the very beginning of rock. Listening to their music is like taking a trip back in time, when films were still mainly in black and white and the blues was at its peak.
Like vinyl records, switch is separated in two identical halves. Each half is built on the same pattern, with an instrumental introduction (JamRa) followed by two lively songs and then, closing the set, a ballad style song. It does not mean though, that the two parts are mere copies. Actually, it is quite the contrary. Even thought the atmosphere is the same, there is something different in each song that makes each part unique. The first part is easier to listen to and could eventually be considered as a long introduction for the second part.
Even though Teppei Inoue's voice can at first be unsettling, it perfectly serves the music. He uses it in a different way, sometimes like a punk singer, as in Asayake, almost shouting even though the musical lines are not that violent. It is regrettable his singing range is not very wide, it could be really interesting if it were so. The music itself is well-balanced, with a very present bass line, good riffs and catchy melodies. Each JamRa session, introducing its own part, is the variation of a common theme. The second JamRa session, much longer than the first one, seems to serve as introduction as well as a pause in the album, almost like the break taken during a live performance.
The album finishes on a heady hidden track, Taiyou no Keshin, made of repetitive background music and voice samples, which balances the last song, Owaranai Natsu no Yoru. This final track is very different from all the other songs on the album, sounding almost like a trip-hop DJ set, yet it closes the disc perfectly.
With very visual and sensitive music arranged in such an interesting pattern, switch is already a very good album. It is probably even better live: the JamRa sessions and the jazzy feel of the music provide opportunity for interesting improvisations when performed.
