Acid Black Cherry - 20+∞Century Boys

On August 27th, Acid Black Cherry will release a new single entitled 20+∞Century Boys. This is the second single released this year and next to the normal version, a DVD version will also be available. The DVD comes with the PV for the title track and an "off-shoot" clip.

20+∞Century Boys starts immediately with a rock intro dominated by the guitar riff and supported by a pounding drum. After about half a minute, yasu's voice falls in and the music takes on a slightly slower pace. yasu's distinctive voice suits the music. His pronunciation is very clear, making it easy to sing along. The chorus is nice, but not of the same quality as the verses, which seem a bit more powerful. In the second half there is nice part where the music slows down and the vocals are calm, too. It's a welcome change in the song, which rocks, but might have gotten boring if it weren't for this break in the guitar riff.

The second track on this single is Ai no baka! (Recreation Track). It's a strong contrast to the previous song. It begins with a piano and guitar. yasu starts to sing, and it seems like there is a slight echo effect on his voice. This song is a unique ballad, and the lyrics create a nice melody. yasu's voice sounds strained though, which might be because the song is entirely in a high key. It seems his voice is more suited for a rock song than a slow ballad. During the last minute, more voices can be heard as they join yasu and this works well; it really completes the song. Unfortunately, it only lasts a few seconds. You might have to listen to this ballad a few times to fully appreciate it.

20+∞Century Boys is a nice release and a must have for Acid Black Cherry fans. The title track is a great rock song which seems to be written to match yasu's unique voice. Even though his voice doesn't sound as great in the second song, it's a nice ballad, which makes for a good B-side.