Es VOL.4 more GARNET CROW life 第 4 回 and 季节相关的歌曲(first half)

●○○From music freak Es Vol.4

10th Anniversary Special

On March 29 this year, GARNET CROW finally reached their 10th anniversary.
Their 10th-anniversary live tour, [GARNET CROW Happy 10th Anniversary livescope 2010 〜THE BEST TOUR〜], closed to great acclaim, and their new single “Over Drive” will be released on April 14.
This time, [more GARNET CROW life], the series celebrating their 10th anniversary, picks out songs from GARNET CROW’s catalog that are linked to the seasons. We will focus mainly on songs whose lyrics contain explicit references to a season and introduce them season by season.
(Songs containing words for all four seasons—spring, summer, fall, and winter—in a single track are excluded. Thank you for your understanding.)

Spring

“Meguri Kuru Haru ni” (When Spring Comes Around)

*(Included on the 1st album, “first soundscope 〜Mizu no Nai Hareta Umi e〜”)* 2001.1.31 release　GZCA-1061

When spring comes around
The sound of footsteps setting out
Seen off by the light of flowers
May the feeling of being able to cherish something
Continue forever
I closed my eyes

A medium-tempo song whose appeal lies in its dark, dramatic development. The wistful tones of the keyboard and acoustic guitar, together with the chorus’s floating quality, make the song even more mysterious. The literary lyrics touch on feelings for someone setting out as spring arrives.

“Haru Matsu Hana no Yō ni” (Like a Flower Waiting for Spring)

*(Included on the 5th album, “THE TWILIGHT VALLEY”)* 2006.10.4 release　GZCA-5092

If I could live with single-minded devotion
Like a flower waiting for spring
I want to meet you once again
Let the seasons turn softly,
So that I will not love you too much

Although its melody is gentle, the sound carries a sense of vitality, as if something were about to sprout, and it strikes the heart. The “flower waiting for spring” is presented in the lyrics as a symbol of living earnestly and vigorously, and it is sung with a soft vocal delivery. The life-filled intro and the guitar in the instrumental break are also highlights.

“Kono Te o Nobaseba” (If I Reach Out This Hand)

24th single　2007.2.21 release　GZCA-4088

If I reach out this hand, I can touch you
But you are already looking
Toward tomorrow
With those eyes, aren’t you?
Spring, the days that linger

A ballad created with care for its comfortable melody, lyrical phrases, and singing voice. It is also a song whose grand arrangement reflects YURI NAKAMURA’s wish from the very beginning of production to make it that way. The lyrics, which evoke departure, describe the importance of moving forward.

“Hana wa Saite Tada Yurete” (Flowers Bloom and Simply Sway)

30th single　2009.8.19 release　GZCA-7150

Life descends from flower to flower
The spring sunlight gently illuminates it

A deeply moving ballad that can be called the essence of GARNET CROW. The contrast between the strength and fragility created by the dignified, lustrous vocals and the lyrics tinged with a sense of indifference is the song’s chief attraction. The grand scale of the intro, the wistful guitar, and the members’ attention to detail can all be felt clearly in this track.

Summer

“Natsu no Maboroshi” (Summer Illusion)

5th single　2000.10.25 release　GZCA-1050

Summer illusion
I close my eyes and you are the very first person I remember
For this fleeting life that will end someday
I simply held the feelings welling up inside

A medium-tempo song that begins with an acoustic guitar evoking nostalgia. The light rhythm and harmony offer the freshness of summer, while the lyrics capture the melancholy of summer’s end, resulting in a deeply resonant song. It remains a popular example of GARNET CROW’s distinctive pop style.

“pray”

*(Included on the 2nd album, “SPARKLE 〜Suji-gaki Dōri no Sky Blue〜”)* 2002.4.24 release　GZCA-501□

The sound of a summer festival
The cry of cicadas
A single shower of rain
The sun returned far away
With affection in my heart, in the gap that crept closer
The silence passing by, a cry that swept my feet away

A mysterious song in which the piano melody reaches the listener directly. As YURI NAKAMURA’s comment that it was influenced by folk songs and foreign traditional music suggests, the sound also carries the breath of history. The lyrics, which cut out small scenes, and the distinctive vocals convey a solemn grandeur.

“Natsu no Owari no Nagai Ame” (The Long Rain at Summer’s End)

*(B-side of the 14th single, “Kimi to Iu Hikari”)* 2003.9.10 release　GZCA-7031

The long rain at summer’s end
Make a wish in this world
Have compassion for the feelings cast aside
If only we could always lose ourselves in something
Wouldn’t it be fine to let things take their course?

The gentle tone of the acoustic guitar in the A and B sections soothes the heart, while the synth in the chorus gives the song a jolt. The calm vocal adds depth, and the lyrics, almost like a murmur, come sharply toward the listener. It is a perfect song for the end of summer and the beginning of fall.

“Ameagari no Blue” (Blue After the Rain)

*(Included on the 4th album, “I’m waiting 4 you”)* 2004.12.8 release　GZCA-5052

I wanted to believe in the connection to summer; it made me feel that way
Let’s each go our separate ways
The image I chased: blue after the rain

This is the full-on “summer” song that became a topic of conversation after being performed live more than 10 months before its official release. Its refreshing up-tempo sound, like a blue sky, and tones that evoke brilliant sunlight are especially appealing. It has continued to be loved by many people as a popular live song.