Tenjochiki - Dear...

Over a year after releasing their first Japanese album, Graceful 4, Cheon Sang Ji Hee The Grace, known in Japan as Tenjochiki, rely again on their powerful voices to release a new album, Dear...

Including two of their previously released singles, Stand Up People and Here, Tenjochiki shows that the band has evolved, that they are now more mature and intend to win the Japanese market with their charisma, typical pop ballads and dance songs, as well as a few innovations to their style.

The album starts with the previously released song Here, which was the theme song for both the film and drama Homeless Chugakusei. It's a lively ballad and a collaboration with famous Japanese hip-hop trio Cliff Edge. The first thing we notice is the perfect synchronization of the girls' voices, who started as an acapella group and evolved to a more pop sound. Calm and soft, the melody gives us an undeniable sense of hope, as if time passes and something good might happen soon. The male voices of Cliff Edge, as well as their DJ, complement the song and make it even more remarkable.

Starting the CD with one of the band's biggest hits is the perfect way to introduce the album, as is the collaboration with a relatively famous Japanese band, which will certainly boost Tenjochiki's career.

The second and title song of the album, Sukoshide ii kara, is part of the soundtrack for the Japanese film Subaru. Sukoshide ii kara is love ballad, one of the group's trademarks, and is slow with a piano in the background that highlights the girls' voices. Dana proves that she's capable of singing high notes without getting out of tune, and as the track evolves it becomes more intense without losing its sensitivity. The song however is quite long, and therefore may become a bit tiring and repetitive as the chorus repeats itself several times at the end.

Following this is a very lively track, Stand Up People, and this is, undoubtedly, one of the best songs of the album. After being in Japan for so long, we can see the evolution of the girls in the language, and they have everything they need to break into this market and become Japanese pop divas. The song follows Piranha's style, with a dance chorus that makes it almost impossible to stand still. Stephanie has a very strong and distinctive voice, which is outstanding in this song epecially on the rap part - a very popular style in Korean pop music and which is gaining more and more use in Japan. Lina and Sunday's voices complement each other's and fit very well in this song.

The forth song, I don't know what to do, is very lively and reminds the listening somewhat of 60s music with a retro touch. In some parts a little muffled voice can be noticed and you can perfectly imagine them singing the song in a Broadway musical. It proves once and for all the musical diversity of the band and that these girls can adapt to fit any style.

If I don't know what to do didn't prove the band's ability to adapt and evolve, the next track certainly does. Tenjochiki finally decided to innovate their sound with Party, one of the great surprises of the album. Party is a rock style track, and yet the band manage to adapt to this style without losing their own characteristics. Party even has guitar breaks, and is very different from the sound that we're used to hearing. It is the kind of song that would be interesting to hear in a concert being played by a live band.

After so many lively tracks, it's broken up with Tenjo no melody, a typical love ballad. It is perhaps the weakest song of the album, it doesn't add anything or bring innovation to their sound. The songs ordering on the album however is excellent. We can find slow and agitated songs interleaved, providing the perfect cadence.

Near ~thoughtful.1220~ starts with a phone ringing and Stephanie speaking perfect English. At first we think it will be a jazz track, but then a typical J-Pop song starts. We can feel a certain melancholy by the end of the song that, although a little long, like most of Tenjochiki's songs, doesn't become boring.

Doushite... is the big surprise of the album, starting with a piano playing a melody that reminds us of Visual Kei style, with bands such as Malice Mizer, but the first impression is quickly shattered as the song evolves. It is without a doubt one of the best songs of the album and maybe of the promising career of Tenjochiki, completed with a violin and piano that worked very well to close the album perfectly; but an epilogue was still to come.

Epilogue is the smallest track of the album and it is instrumental. It starts a bit dark, but when you hear the piano you can notice the farewell atmosphere. It is a final sad and melancholic track, and marks what is the best album of the band so far.

It is interesting to emphasize that they very rarely use vibrato, a technique very common with J-Pop singers, giving a more clean feeling to their music and proving the girls ability to sustain very difficult notes without needing to use any kind of vocal tricks.

Dear... is the most successful Japanese album of the band and will write history for Tenjochiki, showing a more mature sound of these Korean girls who want to win over Japan.

They are increasingly moving away from comparison with the band Tohoshinki, proving that they have enough talent to walk with their own legs and that despite not having reached the growing success of the male band they are following the correct path for future recognition.

We can only wait for the surprises that Stephanie, Lina, Sunday and Dana still have in store for us.