Hime ichigo - Hime ichigo hakusho

Hime ichigo hakusho, the group's first album, came out in June of 2007. Every song on it seems to have been composed with the idea of performing it at a live venue as they show off their energetic sound which is along the lines of SuG and An Café with their cheerful, upbeat and often playful rock.

The album opens with Pink Cabaret Late Show, a song from their first maxi-single, Hime hajime. Undoubtedly a fun number to experience at a live show and boasting some entertaining guitar parts, it doesn't demonstrate much of Suzuya's vocals skills, nor does it distinguish this group from other visual bands. Instead, it offers a fairly predictable rock number that isn't especially exciting on CD.

The next track is another rock number with a brisk pace. Tsuki gakure features some electronic vocals from Suzuya and distortions in the guitar parts. The melodies in the chorus are quite moving and become more beautiful towards the end of the song with the back-up falsetto vocal line and Ruka's drum variations. Track three, She[R]lock, changes up the pace as a more aggressive piece featuring some growls and shouting. Even the chorus with its higher melodies is sung with violent inflections and is followed by a grooving bass solo from Jin.

Following is a thoroughly fun song with stylish guitar effects, driving rhythms and simple but enjoyable harmonies. Entertaining right from the start, it opens with Suzuya imitating a conductor: "The next stop is Akihabara. The doors open on the left, please don't forget anything. The next stop is Akihabara." He comically reminds one of a conductor while at the same time sounds very Suzuya-like. As one can gather from the intro and title, Akibaism is about the district of Tokyo known for electronics and anime.

Seishun ichigon koushinkyoku has some particularly beautiful melodies and is more poignant and nostalgic despite the brisk pace and optimistic message of the song. The vocal lines are harmonized, high and low, and their beauty makes this track stand out among the other tracks thus far, not to mention the refrain showcases Suzuya's abilities better than the previous songs.

Track six, Tsundere Lock, opens with a rejection from a playful female voice ("I don't really like you") and from there dives into a fast paced number with aggressive guitars. Ruka keeps a driving pace in the chorus and Suzuya is again able to demonstrate his range with this one, venturing into some higher realms, though not reaching as far as falsetto. Jun and Reina also showcase their impressive talent during the guitar solo.

This is followed by Roppongi Night Fever, the first song to significantly change the sound of the album. Rather than adhering to their usual fast paced, bright rock sound, Roppongi brings in a club/disco element and pop sensibility, evoking the nightlife of the area in Tokyo from which the title is derived. This pop aspect is especially evident in the intro and ending, though the rock sound is still dominant. The synthesizers, more playful vocal interjections, wacky guitars and erratic beat in the chorus make this song stand out a bit in Hime ichigo's repertoire.

Track eight, Hoshikuzu Drop, is as close as we get to a ballad. With its definite rock edge, relatively fast pace and screaming guitar in the intro, it is too hard to be an outright ballad, but the vocal lines, emotional and soaring throughout, would fit well in a slow song. A welcome addition to the album, it's the sort of piece that would be incredible as an acoustic version with just a piano. It is followed by Torikago, which returns us to the typical Hime ichigo pace and live feel. The catchy vocal melodies are supported by a subtle interlude from Jin, so low it's almost just vibration, and zany guitars.

The album ends on a strong note with quite possibly the best track of the ten, Shunkashuutou. With a deceptively simple drum beat driving the refrain, Suzuya delivers a melody line that will be in your head for days, as will the guitar line from the intro and ending. This song evokes Hime ichigo's original power for finding the most moving and catchy melodies evident in their first release with the song Haru no koi sakura.

Overall, the album demonstrates Hime ichigo's style which is very live centric, highlighted by the lamentable fact that there are no slow numbers at all on the album. It's also a shame that their songs, for the most part, sound very much alike and do not venture into different territories. Moreover, Suzuya seemed to stay in a comfortable range rather than pushing himself into higher registers, though the quality of his voice is one of the most pleasant in the visual scene. This band, with an impressive ear for melody and a vocalist with incredible potential, is one you will want to follow in the future; we can look forward to the next album where they will hopefully offer more versatility.