you's first solo album is a piece of solid guitar music.
After announcing a pause in Janne da Arc's activity, every fan of this band was waiting with curiosity and impatience for the members' solo works. On June 20, 2007 the first album of guitarist you, LIFE ~the first movement~, was released. This instrumental CD includes nine beautiful tracks with an atmosphere reminiscent of Marty Friedman's, former guitarist of trash metal group Megadeth, music
The album starts with the lively song new place, which leads a listener to a good mood and, in his imagination, creates an idyllic scenery. The guitar melody, supported by the keys, make up the amazing beginning of story told by the sound of you's instrument and encourages all to enter it.
a problem of the life follows and quickly grabs the listener's attention with pulsating riffs, interesting passages, and an inventive ending. However, the strongest tracks on this album - after weaker, too sweet powder happiness - is the next composition, entitled various cards. This song is more complex than a problem of the life. you plays complicated riffs, and there are also a lot of pace changes and short, repeating motifs. One of them, played on guitar and accompanied only by discreet background music, repeats later with full accompaniment, and it is particularly brilliant. This song, associated with openings for James Bond films, ends with a classic drumbeat.
The music calms down in the next track, sweet lemon, which turns out to be a bit of a pity after the previous, impulsive work. you's guitar spins a melancholic but somehow upbeat story. Without a moment's break, this song changes to the next track, awakening, which stands out with its lively and wild leading motif. This effect is caused by discontinuous guitar riffs placed to a background of organ music, and it's divided by longer motifs. Its unusually interesting composition is disturbed slightly by pop keyboard interludes, but fortunately they change quickly to act as background for motifs played by you.
a true voice, one of longer tracks on the album, is based on a classic riff. However, it is too similar to previous compositions to keep the listener's attention for long. It is followed by a song titled home, which almost sounds like a typical filler. It makes reference to new place and, because of that, it creates the impression that the album is finished. In this way the listener’s trip comes to the last stage - the fabulous retrospect. This melancholic song, with its slowly developing melody, puts the listener into a reverie. While listening to this composition, some quicker motifs create a feeling of waiting, and music gently accelerates, calmly bringing listener to the end of his or her wandering.
you's solo album definitely differs from what fans of the group Janne da Arc are used to. The whole album is kept in the same, calm tone and consists tracks which are a mix of guitar and keys. you doesn’t show off with virtuosity here, but simply tells his stories with pretty melodies, which shouldn't disappoint any admirer of good guitar music. LIFE ~the first movement~ is suitable for listening to after a long and tiring day because it makes the listener relax and rest.
