STANCE PUNKS - I WANNA BE

2008 was the year in which one of the most known and influential Japanese punk bands celebrated their tenth anniversary. In these past ten years, they have proved they are a band to be taken seriously, and they managed to establish themselves in the Japanese punk scene. After a history of great punk albums, it is now time again for a new single.

STANCE PUNKS is one of those bands that has created a unique sound for themselves, and because of that they are immediately recognizable, even though you can hear their influences - bands such as The Sex Pistols and The Ramones - in their music.

I Wanna Be is the ninth STANCE PUNK single and it contains three tracks. The title song I Wanna Be is also used as an ending theme for the anime Soul Eater. The first press edition of the single came with a special cover, but it is now out of print. The normal edition is still available, and both contain the same three tracks.

Let's start with the first track on the single, I Wanna Be. The song starts off quite calmly and melodically, but after the intro it is quickly followed by a fast guitar and drum part. Then the raw voice of singer TSURU is added. It is again a typical STANCE PUNKS song: just a great punk track with a catchy chorus, and it is greatly composed.

The second song that you will find on the single is Otona hawakatte kurenai. If you compare this one to the previous song, it is a bit softer, but again a typical STANCE PUNKS song. The song is perfectly balanced and has a catchy chorus as well. The guitar riffs in the song are catchy but not really special, just more of the typical punk riffs, but they are played very well. In combination with the rest of the instruments and the fitting voice of TSURU, they provide a nice continuation of the song.

The third and last song on the single is Kanashi I Postman. Like the previous two tracks, you can immediately recognize the STANCE PUNKS sound in it. The influence of bands like The Sex Pistols have had on them is noticeable, and again everything in the song fits perfectly together. Again, it has a cool chorus, and it is a song that would stand out live, even though almost every STANCE PUNKS song would be great live. The riffs are again pretty simple, but that just proves that you can also create a cool song with simple riffs.

I Wanna Be is a nice, typical STANCE PUNKS single. It has the great old punk sound in it and it's very energetic. It's also very noticeable that they have learned to grow as a band and to make sure that everything in their songs fits perfectly. Even though the songs are pretty simple, they just sound great. The punk addicts will absolutely love it, but it's also really recommended even if you do not always like punk music.