HKT48 - Sakura, Minna de Tabeta

HKT is my least liked of the 48s. It seems like they release the same song over and over on their singles. I hope NGT takes a different direction and doesn't go cutesy at first. I am excited to see HKT next release though. I keep hoping it will be something a little different even though that hasn't happened yet.

The title track for the single is Sakura, Minna de Tabeta. Out of their five current singles, this is my least favorite title track. To me, it's the most generic one. It's a typical idol pop track and it's not energetic at all like Melon Juice or Suki Suki Skip. The music video is adorable though. It reminds me a lot of Perfume's Sweet Refrain video (can't remember which came first). I actually miss Meru as center. I like her as center more than Sakura and Haruka. 3/5.

The first B-side is Kimi wa Doushite? found on all versions of the single. Really this just feels like a more upbeat version of the title song. The vocals are also a little too high pitched for my taste. 3/5.

The next B-side is Kidoku Through by Team H found on the Type A version of the single. Even though this single has my least favorite title song, it's B-sides are among my favorites from HKT. Even though this song is still over-hyper idol pop, it has song electronic pieces and is very energetic. This type of song would make a nice title track for HKT. It would still be energetic idol pop like their image, but it would be different enough to distinguish it from their other A-sides. The music video is just as energetic as the song. It also serves to show just how out of place Rino Sashihara looks in HKT. I'm glad that she doesn't want to be center in HKT because I don't think this style suits her much at all. Meru again does a wonderful job as center. I hope she gets to center something again in the future. 5/5.

Kidoku Through MV

The next B-side is Mukashi no Kareshi no Oniichan to Tsukiau to Iu Koto by Team KIV found on the Type B version of the single. First of all, yikes that song title is long. Second of all, this is my all time favorite HKT song. The instrumental reminds me so much of A*Teens cover of Gimme Gimme Gimme and that makes me so happy. I would love it if one of the 48 Groups would go all the way with a crazy Europop track like was popular in the early 2000s. The music video's pretty standard for 48G...just done in reverse. 5/5.

Mukashi no Kareshi MV

The next B-side is Oboete Kudasai by the Kenkyuusei found on the Type C version of the single. Even with this being a Kenkyuusei track (which I generally dislike from all groups), it's pretty catchy. It actually sounds like a mix between J=J's Ca va & the H!P Kenshuusei album. It's definitely an enjoyable song. 4/5.

The final B-side is Kimi no Koto ga Suki yaken found on the Theater edition. This is actually a cover of AKB's Kimi no Koto ga Suki Dakara except it's sung in the dialect of HKT's area. I personally can't see the difference besides the change from dakara to yaken. I'm sure to the trained ear/for natives speakers it sounds a lot different. It's like MM's Osaka Koi no Uta where they're supposed to be singing in the Kansai dialect. I've listened to that song over 100 times and I still can't figure out what they're pronouncing differently. AKB's version is better though.

If it weren't for the title track, this single would be incredibly solid for a 48G single. I'm sure fans of the cutesy idol pop stuff will love the title track along with the rest of the release though. 4/5.

C-ute - The Power/Kanashiki Heaven

This is one of the more recent C-ute singles that I tend to forget exist. I even forgot it was a double A-side until I looked it up. It still really bothers me that they took a 3 year old B-side and made it part of the new single. It doesn't matter if it's popular at concerts or not. You know who goes to concerts? Fans. You know who buys H!P singles? Fans. I'd argue there's very little acknowledgment from the public at large about the newest H!P releases. You never really see H!P singles doing anything digitally (which is more indicative of public opinion than the Oricon chart). Fans would've already owned Kanashiki Heaven. If they were so desperate to give Kanashiki Heaven a video, they should've just done it for the next C-ute MV compliation as a bonus.

The first of the two A-sides is The Power. I know I mentioned that I forget that this single exists, but this is also one of my most played C-ute songs. You're probably wondering how that's not contradictory. I forget that this song is part of a single from 2014 and I tend to associate it with the time when 8 Queen of Jpop came out because I try to forget that the single version of Kanashiki Heaven ever happened lol. I know that people seemed to be disappointed with this single, but I really enjoy it. It came after two very lackluster singles from them and was such a breath of fresh air. I love the feel of the entire song. To me, it's a subdued (and more J-poppy) version of Momoiro Clover Z's Gounn. The music video isn't one of my favorites of theirs, but it's a good video for H!P. You can tell they were trying to come up with new ideas (even if it does look like Gounn inspired it). I don't like it because I find the camerawork really jerky and distracting. It's nice that they were trying to do something different, but the way it was shot drives me crazy. 5/5.

The second A-side is the single version of Kanashiki Heaven. I LOVE the original Kanashiki Heaven. It's one of the best H!P songs of all time in my opinion. Redoing it was the worst idea the company could have done. If anything, an "updated" version as a B-side would have been tolerable, but to "update" it and use it as a single is a crime. Ok, yeah. I'm overreacting a bit. The new version isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be because they didn't change a whole lot. They could get rid of the Latin parts & the annoying "la la la"s though. Kanashiki in this version is still good, but the original is miles better. The great thing about this song is the Airi/Chisato lead with no Maimi. I'd rather listen to a Mai lead song than a Maimi led song. The video is better than the one for The Power. The scenery is very pretty and the camera shots aren't as bad. The only thing I don't get though is the pole dancing. It's not that I have a problem with it, it's just that it's so out of place for a song like this. They should've used it in Crazy Kanzen na Otona or a similar song. It would've made sense and been cool there, but it doesn't fit for this song. 3/5. [Original: 5/5.]

While as a complete package the single is slightly disappointing, if you just look at the one new song from the single, it was a welcome change from the previous two singles during this time. I still recommend searching out the original Kanashiki over this though. 4/5.

Jonas Brothers - Lines, Vines and Trying Times

So this release is a little weird for me to talk about. I used to be a HUGE Jonas Brothers fan. They were my One Direction really. It's probably a good thing that I have bad anxiety over posting things on the internet because if I hadn't been, back then I'm sure I would have been a crazy rabid fan bashing & defending (I was in like 7-8th grade xD). One really cool thing was that I actually got the opportunity to meet them before a concert one time. Even though I'm not really into them now, that was a neat memory. It saddens me a little that I don't care for anything they've done since the breakup, but I guess we all grow up and move on at some point.

This is their fourth and final album. Also the point where I was starting to fall out of love with them.

Track #1, World War III: Before I start, I should probably say that this is my least favorite album of theirs. In fact, I don't care for it much at all. Most of the songs are average at best. This song is one of the few exceptions on the album. I think it's sung well and the composition is stellar. It's such a deceiving song because one of the best tracks is first which makes you think the rest of the album will be the same. 5/5.

Track #2, Paranoid: This was a terrible idea for a single. I know that with this album they were trying to "mature" or whatever, but this song is so so average. I don't really know why I used to like them as much as I did. Nick's voice is really grating. It's a little better now, but then, yikes. With this song, it really sounds flat. There's hardly any change in tone between the verses and the chorus. If they were to pick up the chorus a little more, it might not be such a boring song. 3/5.

Track #3, Fly With Me: This was the song in the second Night At The Museum right? Great movie, super unnecessary cameo by them. I remember my dad teasing me about them being in the movie. It was right when I was starting to grow out of them so I pretended to be excited for the cameo even though I didn't really care. This song is one of the more "Disney"-esque songs on the album. More like their older stuff. For that reason, it is a more enjoyable listen; but it's not something I'd listen to anymore. 3.5/5.

Track #4, Poison Ivy: And this one sounds like a "rockier" country song. I really don't like country music. At least Joe's voice is less annoying than Nick's. The only good thing I can say about the song is the keyboard in the bridge. That would have been cool to hear through the whole song. I finished playing Lego Batman 3 recently (It was really fun actually xD) and when they sing Poison Ivy I can't stop thinking about the one character in the game called that. 3/5.

Track #5, Hey Baby: I almost feel bad not caring for this album. I appreciate that they were attempting to create more mature music, but to me, it just feels like too large of a departure from their previous albums too fast. Not everything that they did was lackluster, as parts of this song prove. The prechorus was really well done, but I just can't take them seriously with the "darker" tone of the song. Which is weird because I like World War III. I don't know. Relistening to this album is really causing mixed emotions about them. 3.5/5.

Track #6, Before The Storm (ft. Miley Cyrus): Full confession time. I used to hate Miley for about a year when I found out she was dating Nick xD Keep in mind I was in middle school when that happened though lol. I feel stupid for thinking like that now. It was ridiculous. When this album was released, I actually liked her, so I was super excited that she was appearing on the album. I don't remember what I thought about the song then, but now I think it's kind of boring. It's trying to be too serious. Miley really does have a wonderful voice here though. She can really sing. Nick's voice also isn't completely annoying here. To be honest, I'd probably love it more if it was a Miley solo. 3.5/5.

Track #7, What Did I Do To Your Heart: Argh again with the country influences. Also, is it just me or are the bulk of these songs sounding the same to anyone else? Now I remember why I never really took any songs away from this album. Being completely biased here, but I don't like this song because of it sounding like a country song. Country is the genre I like the least. There are VERY few country songs/acts that I can stand and this just sounds like one of those painfully awful generic male country singer tracks except without the southern twang. Bleck. 2.5/5.

Track #8, Much Better: Any song that says you *want* to fight with your girlfriend/boyfriend is stupid to me. I don't understand why so many songs talk about that. Shouldn't the goal be to NOT fight with your significant other? I know it says about making up later, but why fight at all? Just....stupid. Joe's voice sounds pretty good in this song. It seems to me that when they sing more restrained their vocals are good but attempting to belt anything out just makes them annoying. 3/5.

Track #9, Black Keys: I vaguely remember counting this song as one of the better ones on the album. I don't know why I thought that way because it's a ballad (and Nick led), but it's not bad. Nick should have always sung with his voice restrained like this because he sounds nice. What I do appreciate about the ballads of this album, is that there is discernible emotion in them. 3.5/5.

Track #10, Don't Charge Me For The Crime (ft. Common): This one has always really confused me. They were going for a more rocky mature image...and they have a pseudo-hip hop/rock song with a rapper on it on the album. Even more confusing, this is one of the better songs on the album. I wonder if a more urban route like Joe & Nick chose to pursue would have worked for the whole group. The problem with the song is the lyrics. I'm not talking about the lyrics themselves, I'm talking about the fact that they sound so silly singing them because they had such a clean cut good guy image. Common's parts are awesome though. 4/5.

Track #11, Turn Right: Again, their vocals in the slow songs are actually good and not annoying. It's too bad that the songs are boring though. This is the kind of song that has been done to death (and better) by others. 3/5.

Track #12, Don't Speak: I was actually hoping this was a cover of the No Doubt song. Would've been a great way to end this mixed bag of an album. As I listen to this, I keep thinking that this would be an incredible song if someone else was singing it. They just don't have the vocals to carry a song like this. 3.5/5.

Track #13, Keep It Real: Ah yes. The song that was in that ill fated Disney show. I still like some Disney/Nick tween shows, but this one was just dire. The fact that I didn't care for it back then when I still kinda liked the group speaks volumes about the show. Of course this song is like their earlier material so it's not so weird for me to listen to. Still not a big fan of it. Give me Burnin' Up over this any day. 4/5.

Spotify Link

It might seem that I'm being overly harsh on this album as it does show a growth in their music and they were trying to be serious about growing as a group. The issue for me is my connection to the earlier Jonas Brothers. Call it bias, nostalgia, or whatever, but this album will never be able to live up to the rest of their discography to me. However, if you're looking for a slightly rocky more mature type of boy band album, this is for you. 3/5.

Song Recommendations (May 26, 2015 Edition)

May has been a really slow month for new music in my opinion. I haven't even really found any awesome music that I hadn't heard before either which is sad. Maybe June will be better. With May coming to a close, these songs are pretty much the only ones that have made any impact for me.

Tiësto & KSHMR - Secrets (ft. Vassy)

Came across this by playing SongPop again after a few years. It's really awesome.

P.IDL - Sansan Aibo

It's been awhile since I was truly impressed with another Japanese girl group (outside of 48s & H!P). It's so sad to me that their other songs aren't even close to the same league this is in.

Hiroshima Maples - Isolator

This is exactly the type of song I'd like to see MM tackle.

W - Miss Love Tantei

Been really into W again lately. Will forever mourn the 3rd album that never got to see daylight.

KARA - Cupid

A little cheaty to name a song that came out slightly over 12 hours ago, but it's one of the better K-pop songs this year.

Enjoy!

Morning Musume - Seishun Kozou ga Naiteiru/Yuugure wa Ameagari/Ima Koko Kara

It's only been slightly over a month since this was released and I'm already antsy for new Morning Musume music. I want to see the new members (or at least one) getting solo lines in the next single because I was disappointed that that didn't happen with this release. I think that at the very least, a generation's first single should give them a solo line each. Or in at least one of the A-sides (since it doesn't look like H!P is ending the double/triple A-side stupidity anytime soon). As this was the first single for the 12th gen, I was really excited to see how their voices would sound in MM. Unfortunately we really didn't get to hear that with this release.

The first A-side is Seishun Kozou ga Naiteiru. I don't care what anyone else says. Keep up with the EDMusume Up-Front! I personally feel like they started this year very strong with this track. Even though I love EDM, the EDM singles from last year were a bit lackluster. I don't really listen to any of them from last year except for their album tracks (which really were fantastic and I wish they'd released one of them as a single instead.). Where the songs from last year (except TokiSora & Egao) felt like rehashes of each other, Seishun Kozou is able to differentiate itself from those tracks. Seishun sounds like it could fit among the album tracks from 14 Shou. I like that Tsunku is finally beginning to experiment a little within EDM. There is still SO MUCH MORE he could do (I'd love to see them reach into the Zedd/Calvin Harris type territory with a truly good dance), but the bridge gets the closest to what I want to see so far. Hoping next single pushes further. This song has two MVs for it, the typical H!P dance shot+closeups & the video created by the winner of the director contest they held. I'm probably in the minority opinion that prefers the H!P version to the other version. I like the concept of the other version with showing off their personalities and trying to give the video some character (the final shots with the pink sky & flower petals were AMAZING. One of the best visuals I've seen from them); however, I really don't feel like the video was that well done. For starters, they shouldn't have put the dancing parts in at all. The dance for this single is messy anyways & it looks 10x as bad in those shots. The exploding clothes scenes were very strange as well. Not sure how that fit in with the rest of the concept. If you're going to go "crazy", take a note from Stardust Promotion MVs and at least make it coherent. Now, the cheerleading shots were very cool. I like the concept of "cheering" for the new members and integrating them into the group. With that video, good ideas not so good execution. I thought that the H!P version was actually very pretty. The girls looked STUNNING in the solo shots. I really didn't care for Akane until that video was released but I was so impressed with the way she was in that MV. H!P's version also helps the dance to not look so messy. Personally, I wish they'd end the formation dance thing & try something harder. Formation dance was cute with Wagamama & Ai no Gundan but I know these girls are better dancers than that. They should do a routine closer to the Hello Station dance club thing. That would be impressive & would catch people's attention as they've been doing formation dance for so long. 5/5

The second A-side is Yuugure wa Ameagari. I like that they are doing different kinds of songs on the singles. As much as I'd be pleased with three Seishun Kozous, I realize that's a pretty poor marketing strategy. These lighter songs still have an EDM base to it, but it's different enough to not sound like another Seishun. The lighter songs from last year (Egao & TokiSora) hadn't completely been sold on me. Egao is ok at best and TokiSora, although good, feels like it's missing something. Yuugure is TokiSora brought to the next level. I truly adore this song. I know it's a hopeful song, but there's something that feels sad about the melody. Maybe bittersweet is a better word to describe the song. This song is quickly becoming one of my favorites of theirs ever. The dance for this song is so beautiful. I remember watching the concert performance on Hello Station and being completely blown away. A huge shout out to Masaki Sato in this song and dance. To me, she outshone every other member. At this point, I don't even remember Karin is in the MVs until she pops up. It's still stupid that they gave her solo shots, but at the end of the day it really doesn't matter. 5/5.

The final A-side is Ima Koko Kara. I originally really disliked this. Not really the song, just the whole thing around it. As a huge Tsunku fan, I wasn't too excited to hear a MM track done by someone else, especially because it was written for an anime. Besides the Love Live series (which didn't start as an anime anyway), I don't think I can name an anime associated song that I actually enjoy. I really became hostile towards the song when I heard the PreCure version. I couldn't believe they were going to make MM do something so childish. I still tried to hate the song when MM's version came out....but I couldn't xD. MM's version has a beat to it and they don't sound childish which is a plus. It's so so catchy. I wouldn't mind too much if MM went in a direction like this. My only real criticism of the song is that certain music pieces in the composition are ripped straight from TokiSora and the song as a whole is too short. I like the music video, but I wish that the anime cutscenes weren't there. I know why they are, and you can't really have the MV without them, but the anime looks stupid. It really does. It looks like a cross between Love Live & Tokyo Mew Mew. And I really don't like anime to begin with. Yeah, I know I'm being overly harsh on it give my dislike of most animes, but if any video from this single needed an alternate version, it was this one. 5/5.

Like I've said before, anything related to H!P is extremely biased as you can tell lol. I do feel like this release is very strong compared to last year's singles. I hope they can keep up the pace with their next single. 5/5.

SKE48 - Sansei Kawaii!

I have a difficult time wrapping my head around the fact that this single will be 2 years old come November. The end of 2013 was when I decided to buy 48G releases like I buy H!P releases. My wallet has been crying ever since lol.

The title track for this single is Sansei Kawaii! It's a standard SKE track along the lines of 1234 Yoroshiku & Banzai Venus. Even though it is standard for them, it's a lot of fun and a pretty catchy song which makes it memorable. It's one of those songs where you read the title & sing it in your head. Even though the video concept has been done to death in the 48G franchise, it's a very pretty video to look at. It was filmed in Thailand and the girls look like they're having the time of their lives. 5/5.

Sansei Kawaii! MV

The first B-side is Koko de Ippatsu found on the Type A version of the CD. This song is sung by a unit comprised of Akari Suda & Kaori Matsumura. The music sounds a bit like a carnival. My feelings are split on the song. I kind of like the chorus, but the verses and the talking bits really drag the song down. The song really seems to fit the unit though. The video I really enjoy. Before watching the video, I had no idea that Akari could do the limbo thing like that. I was super impressed. 3.5/5.

Koko de Ippatsu MV

The next B-side is Mich wa Naze Tsuzuku no ka? found on all versions of the single. The opening of this song sounds VERY familiar. It sounds almost identical to the opening of a contemporary Christian song I have that I can't remember the title of at the moment. It's going to drive me crazy for the next week until I figure it out xD Besides the opening (which is only memorable because I'm positive I've heard it before), the song itself is a non event. It's upbeat, but it's so run of the mill and not in a good way like Sansei. 3/5.

The next B-side is Zutto Zutto Saki no Kyou found on all versions of the single. This is just a typical 48G song that skirts the line between midtempo & ballad. It's boring either way. 3/5.

The next B-side is Itsunomanika, Yowaimono Ijime found on the Type B version of the CD. Besides Koko de Ippatsu, I don't think I've listened to the other unit songs from this single. Or if I have, I don't remember any of them. Judging from this first song, I'm guessing I may have listened to them and don't remember them because there's nothing special about them. This is another of those interchangeable songs from 48G. Sometimes I feel like I'm being a little unfair with that characterization as they have close to 1000 songs and there's obviously going to be some overlap. It's just my general dislike for the generic idol pop that makes me say it....MM could put out Seishun Kozou 20 times only changing a few things & I'd probably love it because it's EDM xD Everyone has bias in their music taste though. The music video's pretty standard for 48G. Nothing super interesting. 3/5.

Itsunomanika, Yowaimono Ijime MV

The next B-side is Canaria Syndrome found on the Type C edition of the single. Ah this song started out so promising. Then it turned straight into a generic idol pop track, and not an interesting one at that. Now I'm sure that I did listen to them before, because I remember having a good association with this song and now I remember it's just because of that beginning/transition. Disappointed to say the least. The music video is the same as the song, something you'd find on every 48G single. 3/5.

Canaria Syndrome MV

The final B-side is Zakuro no Mi wa Yuu'utsu ga Nantsubu Tsumatteiru? found on the Type D version of the single. Perhaps THIS was the song that I associated with good in my head instead of Canaria. It's not as powerful as I wish it was, but I like the fact that it actually has a beat and it's something different from the rest of the single. I really enjoy this MV. The dance looks like it could be really good if it was just sped up a little. 4/5.

Zakuro no Mi wa Yuu'utsu ga Nantsubu Tsumatteiru? MV

Overall this release is just okay. The title track is really catchy and among the better standard 48G fare, but the B-sides are nothing to write home about. 3.5/5.

SDN48 - Next Encore

I still wonder what would happen if they decided to reboot SDN. I actually think it'd be a pretty good idea. In AKB there's a lot of members that really should move on. I know that sounds horrible to say because they probably enjoy what they do or they would have left by now. If SDN was rebooted though, those members could be transferred and still get to do what they love and AKB could allow more younger members to take the reins. They wouldn't have to do the super sexy image. They could always try something different.

This album is a Best Of album and includes all of the songs from all of their singles (except their final one).

Track #1, Gagaga: The first song I heard from SDN48. I remembering immediately being interested in the group because they were doing electropop instead of the more typical stuff. Then I promptly forgot about the group for no reason until about a year ago lol. Last year I kind of got into the mood of "Buy everything 48G related on ebay" and bought a couple of SDN's singles and really liked them. After getting this album, Gagaga has kind of taken a backseat for me. I still like it, but it's not even close to the best that SDN has to offer. The whispery vocals kind of undermine the song. I really don't understand why that type of vocal is considered "sexy" because it sounds silly to me. 4/5.

Track #2, Kodoku na Runner: This song has become my favorite SDN song by a wide margin. It has such an 80s feel to it. The first thing I thought of when hearing this song was actually Bon Jovi's Runaway. They don't sound alike at all, but they have the same overall feel to them when you listen to the songs. I'd love to see one of the 48s (or heck, even H!P) do a song like this again. 5/5.

Track #3, Eros no Trigger: This song really fits their image. Pulsing beat, sensual feel, good vocals. These type of vocals fit better for "sexy" themes than the annoying whisper ones like in Gagaga. It's not one of my favorites from them, but it's a strong song. 4/5.

Track #4, Sado e Wataru: I like how this song sounds like a mix between Gagaga and a typical AKB song. The big issue with this song though is that it seems to go nowhere. From the verses to the chorus the song is the same tone the whole time except for the end where the chorus kicks up a bit. 3.5/5.

Track #5, Ai, Chuseyo: Chuseyo is a Korean word right? I've never fully understood why SDN tried to release stuff/promote in Korea. Sure their music was closer to K-pop than the rest of 48s, but their image/concept wouldn't have worked in Korea. Going off of that, this is probably their most "K-pop" sounding song. The annoying whisper vocals are back though. I could picture Girl's Day or Sistar doing this song easily. 4/5.

Track #6, Tengoku no Door wa 3kaime no Bell de Aku: I love songs that have a Latin feel to them. SDN really pulls off this style of music. When the chorus kicks in, the song just because incredible. Their vocals sound really impressive together. 5/5.

Track #7, Awajishima no Tamanegi: This is one of those guilty pleasure kind of songs lol. It's so silly (the chanting parts especially) but it's so incredibly catchy. It reminds me a lot of early 2000s A*Teens/similar groups material. It's one of their more idol-ish songs, but it works so perfectly for them. 5/5.

Track #8, Ai yo, Ugokanaide: This song is actually a solo by member Reiko Nishikunihara. The song is a ballad, but it's not nearly as boring as most 48G ballads. Her vocals are very beautiful and you can feel emotion in the song. It's still not something I would listen to on a regular basis, but this is more what I want out of ballads. 4/5.

Track #9, Min Min Min: This single is practically the successor of Gagaga. It's EDM with the annoying whispery vocals. Just like Gagaga, this song could be vastly improved if they sung it differently. I personally prefer Gagaga to this as well. This sounds like a cheap knockoff of that single. 3.5/5.

Track #10, Onedari Champagne: This is my absolute favorite SDN song (excluding their stage songs...haven't heard that CD yet.) It's so catchy and anthemic. Always really makes me want to go get a drink...even though I think champagne tastes terrible xD. 5/5.

Track #11, Abazure: This is one of those songs that I've listened to from an album, but forgot existed. In the case of this song, I don't know why I can never remember it exists because it's pretty good. It's more what I wanted from Gagaga and Min Min Min. It also reminds me a little of Kataomoi Finally (which I LOVE). It's unfortunate that it's such an unmemorable song. 4.5/5.

Track #12, Everyday Katyusha: AKB48 cover. AKB48's is also better.

Track #13, Kudokinagara Azabu Juuban (ft. Mino Monta): This song is a little weird to me. I mean, I get it. I do. Still weird. Even though the subject matter to me is awkward, the song itself sounds really great. The girls' vocals are fantastic. Probably one of their best releases vocally. Even the guy sounds good in the chorus. I don't care for the lines he does solo, but his voice blends well with the girls. The jazzy sound of the song works well with the theme. 4/5.

Track #14, Yaritagariya-san: When I first started to listen to SDN, this song immediately stood out to me. I would seriously love it if any of the 48s now would release a song like this. Bokutachi wa Tatakawanai would be SO much better with a bassline like this. This is the type of song they should have gone with for a single. It sounds like a mix of K-pop (like 2009-2012 K-pop) & 48G. 5/5.

Track #15, Gamjatang Bojou: This song has the same jazzy sound and overall feel that Kudokinagara does. Their vocals are very nice in this song as well. It does almost sound like a copy of Kudokinagara though. 4/5.

Track #16, Cachaca de Jihaku Suru: Another song that has a Latin feel much like Tengoku no Door. I do wish they had released a single with a Latin sound. Something like J=J's Hadaka no Kiss turned into SDN style would have been cool. It's too bad they disbanded. This is one of those rare songs where I really enjoy the verses, but the chorus falls flat. I don't know what it is about the chorus, but it just doesn't work for me. 3.5/5.

Track #17, 1 Gallon no Ase: The only new song on the album. Except for the AKB cover, this is probably the most idol track on the entire CD. It's super catchy though. I could picture AKB releasing this as one of their title tracks. In fact, it sounds a lot like Kibouteki Refrain. 4/5.

Next Encore (Audio) [Note: not all tracks on playlist]

It's still a shame that SDN disbanded. They really had some great songs and I think they should have released more than one stage and one album (which is really just a compilation.) For this CD, there really isn't a song that I would skip. Certain songs are stronger than others, but as a whole the album is one of my favorite 48G releases. 4.5/5.