Idol group
STARMARIE, who have their focus on the world of fantasy and fancy stories and were founded in 2008, released their first best-of album,
THE FANTASY WORLD, in June 2015. Two peculiarities are part of the best-of item. First, the unusual format of the nice sleeve case needs to be noticed. The case is the size of a single LP, 18 cm x 18 cm. Secondly, 17 of the 18 tracks were newly recorded and rearranged with all five members. Because many of the tracks were produced before June 2014 when
STARMARIE consisted only of three members, it was obviously necessary to record the songs once more with the new line-up.
The collection starts with the mysterious track
Good Morning!! Hamamura SHOW which is telling of a TV show. Its mystical synthesizer melody is backed by a strong techno beat and complemented by dull bass and guitar riffs a little later, then also joined by the singing of
Nonchan,
Shinohamu,
Monya,
Kaechan and
Hichan. Despite the rich sounds and increased pace, the track retains its mysterious mood. It is followed by the musically entertaining, fast
Mitsuboshi Restaurant Paul kara no shoutaijou, which also offers a strong but short guitar solo. The subsequent track
Kuruoshiki gekka no butou kai was reviewed on JaME WORLD at
Who Killed Circus (Circus wo koroshita no ha dare da) and hasn't really changed, so won't be discussed any further at this point.
Let's dedicate ourselves to the fourth track instead,
Honda kyouju no Dying Message. Due to the gentle spherical chants in the background, this song has a mythical and ethnic tone. The guitars and voices of the five girls bring a little more depth to the track, the theme of which is "to not forget." Chimes like those of a church service mark the beginning of
Obake yashiki ni shuushoku shiyou. However, a few moments later, a fast, wacky, and sometimes scarily threatening rhythm of guitars, drums, piano and synthesizers joins in. The following
Mogura Mystery Tour is lively and fast. As well as a very interesting synthesizer melody, the track offers chords reminiscent of a piano, and an entertaining guitar solo. With a bright and somehow mysterious tune and lyrics, the subsequent
Urayakusai kenkyuusho no shinyaku jitsuken catches the attention of the listener.
Guran Chairuzu Graduation follows and once more features entertaining, bright synthesizers.
STARMARIE continue to lighten the mood a bit more with their singing.
As with
Kuruoshiki gekka no butou kai,
Yomei 124nichi no Cinderella was discussed in the past as both titles featured on the same single, and again, no noticeable change to the single version can be found. We focus then on the tenth song,
Koisuru Vocaloid, which is fast, playful and somewhat brighter than the basic tune of the previous number. Through the instrumentation, which vaguely recalls big band music, you partly experience a certain nostalgic feeling although the lyrics focus on the modern age.
Sayonara o bentou is another representative of
STARMARIE's carefree songs. The rhythm is catchy, light, and able to bring you to dance.
Namida no pan koujou "Consel Kamata" stylistically returns to the more mysterious and slightly melancholy realm, but doesn't slow down the pace either. It is followed by a premiere,
Burea to tensai kagakusha no kouzai, a brand-new track now immortalized on
THE FANTASY WORLD. The premiere is a hopeful, playful, and danceable song that scores with subtle synthesizer chords and a harmonic electric guitar accompaniment.
Guranpa guranpa is another track which enables you to just let yourself get carried away. Its ballad-esque charm is enhanced by upbeat, loving vocals and beautiful acoustic guitar strains. The fifteenth track on
THE FANTASY WORLD,
Kirei na Reona no shouzou ga, is a fast, wacky, and entertaining pop music mix. Funnily, every now and then the word "crazy" appears in the lyrics.
Time Machine Love is of a similar style. Once more, bright synthesizer melodies blend with mid-tempo beats and soft piano chords. There is only one big difference:
Time Machine Love offers a carefree summer feeling as well.
The beginning of
Andromeda Propose brings you into the right mood for a light, entertaining sci-fi story; the start reminds you of the sounds automatically associated with a journey through space. But
Andromeda Propose is also a funny track that tempts repeated listening. The last track
Na mo naki hoshi no My Home comes out of the speakers and closes the journey into the fantasy of
STARMARIE's with strong synthesizers, drums, guitars and a subtle piano accompaniment, but the track isn't boring. The instrumentation, the entertaining rhythm, and also the soulful vocals catch the audience’s interest.
For whoever hasn't had any contact with idol band
STARMARIE so far but is willing to experience entertaining pop music with elaborate lyrics – and if your Japanese is powerful enough to understand them –
THE FANTASY WORLD is warmly recommended. From light, ballad-esque songs to unusual sounds, an entertaining repertoire is found among the 18 tracks. Even though many of the titles are stylistically similar, they are still enjoyable and give a good insight into the music of
STARMARIE.
