LM.C - LET ME' CRAZY

Released October 27, 2010, LET ME’ CRAZY is LM.C’s most recent single. In the past, LM.C has released catchy work, dazzling fans and shining brightly. LET ME’ CRAZY is yet another example of this.

The listener experiences firsthand the craziness in LET ME’ CRAZY, emphasized by the wild, emphatic thrashing of the guitar with contrasting synthesizers at merely eleven seconds into the song. The song overall has a slight ‘outer space’ feel to it; it pays especially close attention to details in terms of the array of synthesizers heard in the backing track. LET ME’ CRAZY, with such a superb opening, is actually a rather dark track with only periodic admittances of ‘happiness.’ Alternating between minor and major chords, the verses and bridge transmit a much darker feeling than the brightly-toned chorus. If one listens carefully, there is a subtle undertone of marimba in the first chorus but not in the succeeding choruses, and it gives the song a Caribbean touch in that section. Though the chorus is charismatic and flavoured, the climax of the song is actually just after three minutes. Through that moment, LET ME’ CRAZY presents a dramatic feeling and sets high standards for the other two tracks.

After counting in, a much more inviting track bursts into the listener’s ears. The lines “we just want to have fun tonight…no fun, no future…” seem to conflict with the saying “all work and no play,” and basically states that the only way to have a future is just to have fun. Following a tempo change to a much slower pace, the cute and catchy No Fun, No Future is brighter and more optimistic, branding itself as oshare-kei. Everything about it makes you want to jump up and dance, no matter if people stare.

The third track, YASHA-Hime, fades in slowly and takes on more of a western style before Maya starts to sing. The intro is a little longer; the track starts off more calmly and builds into something like older blink-182 works, but it combines a certain heaviness with oriental elements floating in the background. YASHA-Hime clearly takes a serious tone compared to first two tracks, and as heard in the background, it presents a traditional feeling. The listener can experience the old and even older: snippets of 80’s inspired synthesizers heard in the hook contrast with traditional Japanese instruments such as the shakuhachi and kotsuzumi during the second chorus.

Overall, the single pulls the plug on any expectations the listener might have prior to listening. It meets the expectations but overthrows them by far and leaves you lost in the music. As soon as YASHA-Hime fades into silence, it’s time to leave LM.C’s world and return to reality.