Gash

[Machine Translation] The first album of the new Gash, with new members. The sound is more loud and powerful, but the words and melodies are more beautiful and delicate. In terms of sound, it is an ambitious work that has undergone a major transformation. Starting with the singles "Ordinary" and "Before Dawn," there is "GLIDER" and "slowdive" with their powerful low center of gravity grooves, the lovely "Mellow Yellow" with its soul-pop vibe, and the big song "Ear Ringing" with its dramatic change in tone from static to dynamic. On the other hand, there is "Insomnia Lilac," which leaves a refreshing aftertaste, and "Stratosphere," a short acoustic guitar-only piece. It is safe to say that the attempt to express more emotional power by squeezing in as much as possible in the studio was successful enough. However, even though the sound has changed, one thing has remained the same. That is the world of Takahiro Ishizuka's songs, which remain faithful to the straightforward gaze of the heart, saying a resounding "NO" to anything ugly and an unconditional "YES" to anything sweet. The members may change, the times may change, but the purity of his songs will always remain the same. As long as that remains, Gash's songs will continue to have a high degree of universality.

新メンバーを加えて次のステージへと踏み出した、新生Gashの1stアルバム。サウンドはよりラウド&パワフルに、しかし言葉とメロディはより美しく繊細に。4人の絶妙のバランスが耳にまぶしい。サウンド的には、「大きな変貌をとげた意欲作」だ。シングル曲「ORDINARY」と「夜明け前」を始め、迫力たっぷりな重心の低いグルーヴを持つ「GLIDER」や「slowdive」、ソウル・ポップな匂いのする愛らしい「Mellow Yellow」、静から動へと劇的に曲調が変化してゆく大曲「耳鳴り」もある。一方で、さわやかな後味の残る「不眠症ライラック」や、アコギだけの短い「成層圏」もある。スタジオでできる限りのことをつめこんで、よりエモーショナルな力強さを表現する試みは、十分に成功していると言っていい。 しかし、サウンドは変化しても、変わらないことがひとつある。それは、まっすぐな心の視線に忠実に、醜いものにははっきりNOを、いとおしいものには無条件でYESという、石塚貴洋の歌の世界だ。メンバーが変わっても、時代が変わっても、そのピュアネスはずっと変わらない。それがある限り、Gashの歌は高い普遍性を持ちつづけるだろう。