Janne Da Arc – Singles 2

Janne Da Arc, before pausing their activities, offered their fans a summary of their music work from 2004-2006 with the release of Singles 2. The album contains 12 tracks taken – as the title indicates – singles recorded during that period; some of them were also released on JOKER and ARCADIA. The band definitely made a wonderful gift for listeners as they put Furimukeba... / Destination and HEAVEN / Möbius on this CD. These songs haven’t been featured on any original album yet.

Singles 2 is quite diverse. It includes both fast and slower songs. It wonderfully shows off the different sides of Janne Da Arc’s creativity. Amongst the faster tracks, the really upbeat and optimistic FREEDOM stands out. It opens with an energetic, marching melody. An additional strong point of this song is the lyrical piece placed in the middle, which has the vocalist accompanied only by the keys as it begins. Then music explodes again.

The listener’s attention is caught by the very cheerful Kiss Me, which has a slightly romantic atmosphere, and by Destination, which opens with wild drum staccato mixed with keyboard playing. The latter one is a typical rock piece, sweetened with synthesizers and interesting passages that give each instrument its own moment. An impressive bass solo is worth mentioning, too.

Released on ARCADIA, the songs ROMANCE and BLACK JACK foreshadow Acid Black Cherry - but they are much lighter than the creations by yasu’ s solo project. ROMANCE begins with an intriguing, powerful guitar and drum prelude. It isn’t really fast, but it's very energetic. However, standing out with its jazzy atmosphere and the addition of brass is BLACK JACK. It impresses with its sophisticated finale, in which guitar, keyboard and drum motifs are intertwined.

The strongest side of this album is undoubtedly the ballads. The first of them, DOLLS, begins with a short acoustic intro, which later refrains in the background. The chorus gets a little faster and includes some female vocals. The following LOVE IS HERE is a bit more pop with clear, high-pitched sounding keys. It isn’t as catchy as the former track, but it's unquestionably charming.

Gekkoka, used as an opening for the anime "Black Jack,” can be named as a real treasure. It begins with a violin melody, which leads to a richer sound later on. After that, yasu sings almost a cappella, accompanied only by gentle string and piano notes. The whole song – thanks to its romantic and quite melancholic mood – evokes the image of a landscape bathed in moonlight. It is the most beautiful track on this album, no question.

Furimukeba... trails Gekkoka. It’s a slow, quiet song with an amazing chorus, filled with lyrical vocals and diversified by a great guitar solo. Though this piece is a bit lacking in originality, all its elements are perfectly matched, so it draws you along easily. Unfortunately, this good album has a weak point: Diamond Virgin, which is too pop, particularly in the comparison with the surrounding tracks. This impression is deepened by a distinct reliance on keys and the absence of strong guitar playing. Although a guitar solo appears in the middle, it seems to be performed without any enthusiasm. Diamond Virgin isn’t really good when you take into account the standards established by Janne Da Arc with their other compositions.

Singles 2 lets fans track the changes of the band’s musical style across two years. The songs written during that period contained gentler melodies and had more pop elements than before, but the talents of all of Janne Da Arc’s members are still clearly visible. However, the album is sometimes too calm, and some songs are a bit boring. Despite all of that, there are still wonderful tracks included, and they are worth listening to.