[Single] Ayabie – Sayonara

Ahh, Ayabie…. I don’t know what to expect from you any more. Their major-debut release was a lot like a boy band pop song. But with this single, we seem them going back to their roots in J-Rock! Lets see if they go all the way back…

Sayonara starts off this release. It begins with a short rock section with some piano and then goes into a quiet section while vocals come in. I think that the texture still is similar to their last single, Aitakute, but they definitely shifted closer to rock. Synthesized strings accompany ayabie for most of the song. And a little past the halfway point, there is a short guitar solo. For the most part, the band is not very prominent and they are basically used for rhythm and harmony. Only in a few places does guitar take the lead.

Next we have birthday Song. I was kind of expecting a very happy upbeat song. But rather than that, they do a sort of ballad with some soft acoustic guitar accompanying the vocals. The band doesn’t fully come in for a while and it retains it’s gentleness. Nothing hardcore here, but I like it. It’s very relaxed and makes it feel like it’s just floating along.

Awayuki is the final track on this single. It starts off with a guitar playing the theme of the rest of the song. I think that after this, it’s rather repetitive. Once again, the band is mainly used for rhythm and chords. Its rather disappointing. I would rather listen to their work while they were indie. It’s much more enjoyable in my opinion.

Overall: It’s an improvement from their previous single, but not really that unique.

Rating: 6.5/10

Tracklist:
1.) Sayonara (サヨナラ)
2.) birthday Song
3.) Awayuki (淡雪)
4.) Sayonara (Original Karaoke)
5.) birthday Song (Original Karaoke

-KWZ